Local Editor
Authorities in Riyadh are looking to pocket over USD 100 billion as part of Saudi Arabia’s so-called anti-corruption drive.
A senior Saudi government official, who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity, claims that most of the Saudi royals and businessmen being held at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel since last November have agreed to pay for their freedom.
The wave of arrests was engineered by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his apparent bid to consolidate power.
According to the kingdom’s Attorney General Saud Al Mojeb, 90 ‘suspect’ have already been released and another 95 are weighing settlement proposals.
“Those who … agree to settle will have any criminal proceedings against them dropped,” Al Mojeb said on Sunday.
Last November, the UK’s Daily Mail reported that Salman hired American private security contractors to interrogate and torture the detained royals.
Among those detained is the Middle East’s richest man, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, who has an estimated fortune of USD 18.7 billion.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
