Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia’s state anti-corruption watchdog has said that it has recently handled 588 cases as the country is pursuing an intensified clampdown on unlawful deals.
138 citizens and expatriates, including officials of the ministries of of Defence, National Guards, Health, Justice, Municipal and Housing, Education, Transport, Media, Human Resources and Sports, were arrested on charges of bribery, influence peddling and forgery, an official source at the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazah) said.
The Saudi watchdog called on members of the public to report any suspicious financial or administrative transactions, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
Observe secrecy
The state agency also noted that whistleblowers’ information is treated confidentially without harm done to them. “Nazaha protects everyone offering the information, provided they observe secrecy of their reports,” it added.
The commission has recently initiated handling dozens 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 dozens of state employees and entrepreneurs.
