Saudi anti-corruption agency launches new crackdown on ministry officials and civil servants

Saudi Arabia's anti-corruption committee announced on Sunday that it had started legal proceedings against several former officials and civil servants accused of financial and administrative corruption.

In one of the most prominent cases announced by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), two former ministry of National Guard employees were detained for allegedly obtaining SR198 million ($52.8 million) from local and foreign firms in return for helping them win contracts. 

A second case announced by the agency involves a former project director at the ministry of higher education and five businessmen who allegedly set up companies which were awarded lucrative ministry contracts at inflated prices. 

In another case, an officer with the rank of captain employed by the General Directorate for Narcotics Control was arrested for allegedly taking SR35,000 ($9,332) from a foreigner in exchange for helping in a case relating to a relative.

Other cases mentioned by Nazaha involve staff employed by the Saudi foreign, information, and finance ministries, as well as regional officials.

In its statement, Nazaha warned that it would continue to pursue corruption cases, emphasising that crimes of financial and administrative corruption have no statute of limitations in the kingdom.

Saudi authorities under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have stepped up anti-graft efforts in recent years.

The self-described corruption clampdown launched in 2017 caught international attention when hundreds of elite princes, ministers, and businessmen were detained at the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in the capital Riyadh.

Many were held there for weeks and most were subsequently released after agreeing to significant financial settlements. Authorities said they recovered more than 400 billion Saudi riyals ($107 billion).

The anti-graft sweep led by Prince Mohammed has been labelled by many critics as a shakedown and a power grab.