The Saudi Anti-Corruption Agency (Al-Nazaha) reported the arrest of 176 citizens and residents of 14 government agencies on charges of bribery, official abuse, and fraud.
Saudi authorities have arrested 176 citizens and expatriates, including government ministry employees, for alleged involvement in corruption.
In a statement, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said those arrested include employees of the defense, interior, national guard, finance, health, justice, municipal, rural affairs and housing, education, transport, information, and human resources, and social development ministries, as well as workers from Saudi Customs, the General Authority of the Red Crescent and the National Water Co.
Charges leveled against the employees cover bribery, abuse of power, and forgery charges. They were arrested in 971 inspection raids carried out by Nazaha teams in the last month.
Arrests were made following investigations into 700 people suspected of corruption. Nazaha said that legal procedures are being completed before the accused are referred to courts.
Of these citizens and expatriates, 176 have been arrested, and they included employees from the ministries of defense, interior, finance, health, justice, municipal and rural and housing affairs, education, transport, media, human resources and social development, and National Guard, as well as staffers of the General Authority for Customs, Saudi Red Crescent Authority, and the National Water Company.
The charges against the defendants include bribery, abuse of power, and forgery, and legal procedures are being completed prior to referring their cases to the judiciary.
The authority called on Saudis to report suspicious activities involving financial or administrative corruption by contacting the toll-free number 980, the email @nazaha.gov.sa, or the fax number 0114420057.
Nazaha has continued to ramp up crackdowns on corruption, fraud, and bribery in the Kingdom over the past year. Recent activities include the arrest of 65 Saudis and ex-pats in February this year, 48 of whom were government employees from seven different ministries. Charges included bribery, abuse of influence and power, as well as fraud and forgery.
