Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has issued a series of orders that included relieving Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz from office in an anti-corruptaion drive, reports said.
The royal orders included formation of a supreme committee, chaired by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The King has appointed Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf Al Muqren as the new Minister of the National Guard.
Minister of Economy and Planning Eng Adel bin Mohammed Faqih was also relieved of his post and Mohammed bin Mazyad Al-Tuwaijri was appointed as Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Press Agency said.
Admiral Abdullah bin Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Sultan, the Commander of the Naval Forces, was terminated and retired. Vice Admiral Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Ghifaili was promoted to the rank of admiral and appointed as Commander of the Naval Forces.
Meanwhile, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said the government had detained 11 princes, four current ministers and tens of former ministers.
Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns investment firm Kingdom Holding, is among people detained and under investigation by the new anti-corruption body, a senior Saudi official was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Another report said also detained and under investigation is former Saudi finance minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf.
The new anti-corruption committee will inlcude chairman of the Monitoring and Investigation Commission, chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Authority, chief of the General Audit Bureau, Attorney General and Head of State Security, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The committee will be tasked with identifying offences, crimes, persons and entities involved in cases of public corruption.
The committee has the right to take any precautionary measures it sees, until they are referred to the investigating authorities or judicial bodies.
It may takes whatever measures deemed necessary to deal with those involved in public corruption cases and take what it considers to be the right of persons, entities, funds, fixed and movable assets, at home and abroad, return funds to the state treasury and register property and assets in the name of state property.
