Photographer: OZAN KOSE / AFP via Getty Images
Photographer: OZAN KOSE / AFP via Getty Images
Saudi officials said they arrested seven businessmen and 12 bank employees for a scheme that involved the transfer of 11.6 billion rials ($ 3.1 billion) of unknown origin abroad.
A statement by the kingdom’s anti-corruption authority published by the official Saudi Press Agency said the authorities had frustrated a “gang” of foreign residents, bank employees and businessmen working together “to deposit money from an unknown source and transfer it to outside the kingdom. ” In addition to businessmen and bankers, the authorities detained a police officer and several other foreign citizens and residents.
The arrested men were accused of bribery, forgery, exploitation of their jobs for illegal financial gain, money laundering and other crimes, according to the statement. The statement did not provide their names.
The announcement was made on the same day that the kingdom held its annual global investment summit, the Future Investment Initiative. The inaugural conference in 2017 was followed by a controversial anti-corruption campaign led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who promised to eradicate bribery in the country, whatever its origin. Saudi dissidents have accused him of using allegations of corruption to undermine potential opponents and critics, a charge the authorities have denied.
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