REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017.
- Saudi Arabia detained more than 200 people in a landmark anti-corruption probe, the kingdom confirmed.
- The arrests this weekend included Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire investor, and Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, the head of the National Guard.
- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is widely seen as the driving force behind the anti-corruption purge.
Saudi Arabia detained more than 200 people in a landmark anti-corruption probe that affected around $100 billion in funds, the kingdom announced Thursday.
The purge - launched last weekend - touched Saudi Arabia's government and business leaders. Two hundred and eight people have been called in for questioning since Saturday evening, Saudi Attorney General Saud al-Mojeb said in a statement cited by the Associated Press.
Seven people were released without charge, al-Mojeb said, with 201 people still in detention. The statement said that at least $100 billion has been misused through corruption and embezzlement, spanning several decades.
At least 11 princes and dozens of government ministers were arrested in the surprise first wave of the anti-corruption purge on Saturday.
The arrests this weekend included Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire investor, and Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, the head of the National Guard, who was considered a potential rival for the Saudi throne.
The government said over the weekend that the anti-corruption committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had the right to issue arrest warrants, impose travel restrictions, and freeze bank accounts. An estimated 1,700 individual bank accounts have been frozen, according to the Associated Press.
Crown Prince Mohammed is widely seen as the driving force behind the anti-corruption purge. The 32-year-old heir to the throne is consolidating power in a way Saudi Arabia hasn't seen in decades.