Saudi Arabia: 176 officials nabbed in graft cases

Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia’s anti-graft authority (Nazaha) has arrested 176 Saudi and expat officials, as the agency continues its crackdown against fraud, bribery and other crimes, a senior official said.

Among those incarcerated were officials of ministries of Defence, Interior, National Guard, Finance, Health, Justice, Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Education, Transportation, Media, Human Resources and Social Development as well as the General Customs Authority, the Red Crescent Authority, and the National Water Company.

The officials were charged with bribery, abuse of influence and fraud, while 700 others were questioned in graft probe, Nazaha said in a statement.

Nazaha continues to ask citizens to protect public funds, by reporting suspicious financial or administrative activities.

The commission has recently investigated tens of suspected corruption cases and illegal transactions in different fields.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has stepped up a clampdown on white-collar corruption, nabbing hundreds of state employees and entrepreneurs.