RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 108 government employees in August as part of an ongoing crackdown on corruption, the Saudi Gazette reported on Wednesday.
According to the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), 108 government employees were arrested on corruption charges during the month, although some of those detained were later released on bail.
Nazaha initiated a number of criminal and administrative cases in August as part of its continuing efforts to promote integrity and combat corruption across government institutions.
The authority conducted 2,659 oversight visits during the month and investigated the suspected involvement of 352 government employees in corruption-related cases.
The investigations led to the arrest of 108 employees from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Municipalities and Housing.
Nazaha said the suspects were charged with bribery and abuse of official positions.
Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption campaign gained international attention after a sweeping crackdown launched in November 2017 under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Authorities detained hundreds of high-profile figures, including princes, government ministers and wealthy businessmen, with many held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh.
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The Saudi government later recovered more than $106 billion (about 400 billion riyals) in cash, real estate and business assets surrendered as part of the settlement process.
Earlier, Nazaha arrested 130 Saudi citizens and expatriate residents on suspicion of corruption-related offences following a series of inspections and investigations conducted in June.
Nazaha said it carried out 1,585 oversight inspections and investigated 385 suspects as part of its ongoing campaign to combat corruption and safeguard public funds.
