Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed, former ministers detained in corruption probe

World

[ad_1]

RIYADH, – One of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent businessmen and a former finance minister are among dozens detained in a probe by a new anti-corruption body, a senior Saudi official said on Sunday.

FILE PHOTO – Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal leaves the High Court in London July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Neil Hall/File Photo

The official, who declined to be identified under briefing rules, said billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns investment firm Kingdom Holding 4280.SE, and former finance minister Ibrahim al-Assaf had been detained.

Neither man nor Kingdom Holding officials could be reached immediately for comment. Aside from being one of the largest shareholders in Citigroup C.N, Kingdom owns stakes in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA.O) and microblogging site Twitter.

Saudi King Salman announced late on Saturday the creation of a new anti-corruption committee chaired by his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said the body had detained 11 princes, four current ministers and tens of former ministers.

The crown prince is spearheading an ambitious economic reform program that aims to draw more foreign and private sector investment into the kingdom, which is the world’s top oil exporter and the most powerful country in the Gulf Arab region.

FILE PHOTO – Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal attends a news conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia August 30, 2009. REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed/File Photo

King Salman also appointed two new ministers on Saturday to key security and economic posts, removing one of the royal family’s most prominent members as head of the National Guard.

Prince Miteb bin Abdullah was replaced as minister of the National Guard by Khaled bin Ayyaf, while Economy Minister Adel Fakieh was removed in favor of his deputy Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, according to a royal decree carried by state-run media.

Prince Miteb, the preferred son of the late King Abdullah, was once thought to be a leading contender for the throne before the unexpected rise of Prince Mohammed two years ago.

The Cabinet reshuffle helped to consolidate Prince Mohammed’s control of the kingdom’s security institutions, which had long been headed by separate powerful branches of the ruling family.

Prince Mohammed, who has pledged to go after graft at the highest levels, will head the new anti-corruption body, which was given broad powers to investigate cases, issue arrest warrants and travel restrictions, and freeze assets.

“The homeland will not exist unless corruption is uprooted and the corrupt are held accountable,” the royal decree said.

Reporting by Katie Paul, Reem Shamseddine, and Stephen Kalin, and Rania El Gamal in Dubai; Writing by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Andrew Torchia and Paul Tait; sylvia.westall@thomsonreuters.com ; Dubai Newsroom +971 4453 6488; Reuters Messaging: sylvia.westall.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[ad_2]

Source link

Articles You May Like

Raid russi su centrali elettriche ucraine: un morto e molte regioni a rischio black-out
Russia: lutto nazionale dopo l’attentato di Mosca, l’Isis diffonde nuovi video
Sabato di terrore in Ucraina: raid aerei su Kiev e Leopoli, missile russo viola lo spazio aereo polacco
Test magistrati, Anf: ‘Nessuno scandalo, tante derive’
Terremoto di magnitudo 4.6 nel Mar Ionio: scossa avvertita in Puglia e Grecia

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *