RIYADH: A high ranking Saudi military official and his son were removedfrom their posts on Monday over alleged corruption , the state mediareported on Monday, as Riyadh tightens its noose in latest anti-corruptionpurge.
Joint forces commander Prince Fahad bin Turki — a senior royal familymember — and Abdulaziz bin Fahad, the deputy emir of northern Al-Joufregion, were fired and placed under investigation for corruption, accordingto the report.
Several other officers and civilian employees of the defence ministry werealso being probed for corruption, it added, citing a royal decree from KingSalman.
Prince Fahad served as the commander of the Saudi-led military coalitionfighting Iran-linked Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.
He was replaced by Mutlaq bin Salim, the deputy chief of staff, on therecommendation of the kingdom’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed binSalman, state media said.
The government decision to sack the commander was a “very public signalagainst corruption in the military”, said Saudi author and analyst AliShihabi.
The announcement marks the latest government crackdown on what officialsdescribe as endemic corruption in the kingdom.
Senior Saudi security commanders were among a string of officials sackedlast month over graft allegations at tourism projects.
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In March, Human Rights Watch voiced alarm over the arrest of 298 Saudiofficials over corruption allegations, warning of possible “unfair legalproceedings” in an opaque judicial system.
Military and judicial officials were among those arrested over allegationsof bribery and embezzlement amounting to a total of 379 million riyals($101 million), according to the state anti-corruption watchdog.
The watchdog said the arrests came after it criminally investigated 674state employees, but it neither named any of the suspects nor stated whenits probe took place.
A campaign against graft launched in 2017 saw hundreds of elite princes,ministers and businessmen detained at the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in thecapital Riyadh.
Many were held there for weeks and most were subsequently released afteragreeing to significant financial settlements. Authorities said theyrecovered more than 400 billion Saudi riyals ($107 billion).
The anti-graft sweep led by Prince Mohammed was labelled by many critics asa shakedown and a power grab. -APP/AFP
