Saudi Arabia CRACKDOWN: 11 princes and 4 ministers arrested in anti-corruption purge
A BILLIONAIRE Saudi businessman has been arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown in the oil-rich kingdom.
By SIMON OSBORNE
Express.co.uk
Sun, Nov 5, 2017
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns investment firm Kingdom Holding, was among 11 princes, four ministers and tens of former ministers detained in a urge designed to consolidate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s hold on power.
He is one of Saudi Arabia’s best-known international businessmen as an investor in firms such as Citigroup and Twitter.
A top security official, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, was detained and replaced as minister of the powerful National Guard by Prince Khaled bin Ayyaf.
Bakr bin Laden, chairman of the Saudi Binladin construction group, and Alwaleed al-Ibrahim, owner of the MBC television network, were also detained.
Some of those held are understood be under house arrest at the opulent Ritz-Carlton hotel in the diplomatic quarter of Riyadh.
News of the purge came in the early hours of this morning after King Salman decreed the creation of an anti-corruption committee chaired by his 32-year-old son Prince Mohammed, who has amassed power since rising from obscurity less than three years ago.
The new body was given broad powers to investigate cases, issue arrest warrants and travel restrictions and freeze assets.
The royal decree stated: “The homeland will not exist unless corruption is uprooted and the corrupt are held accountable.”
Analysts said the goal of the purge went beyond corruption and aimed to remove potential opposition to Prince Mohammed as he pushes an ambitious and controversial reform agenda.
In September he announced a ban on women driving would be lifted and he is trying to break decades of conservative tradition by promoting public entertainment and visits by foreign tourists.
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