[ad_1]
0Share
Lieutenant General Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, center-right, was the commander of the forces of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. [File: AFP]
Riad Saudi Arabia’s King Salman fired two royals on corruption allegations and referred them to the anti-corruption watchdog for an investigation, according to state media.
In a royal decree issued Tuesday morning, King Salman removed Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the commander of joint forces in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, and relieved his son, Prince Abdulaziz. bin Fahd, from his post as deputy governor of al-Jouf region.
The decision was based on a letter from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Nazaha, the anti-corruption committee, to investigate “suspicious financial transactions in the defense ministry.”
Four other military personnel were also investigated.
The announcement marks the latest offensive by the government against what officials say is endemic corruption in the kingdom.
MBS, after becoming heir to the throne in 2017 in a palace coup, launched an anti-corruption campaign that saw dozens of royalty, ministers and businessmen arrested at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh.
Most were released after reaching undisclosed agreements with the state.
While the crown prince has made fighting corruption a mainstay of his reforms, critics say he is moving to sideline rivals in his eventual succession to the throne, seize control of the country’s security apparatus and crack down on dissent.
Authorities ended the Ritz’s campaign after 15 months, but said the government would continue to prosecute corruption of state employees.
In March, authorities arrested nearly 300 government officials, including military and security officials, on charges of bribery and exploitation of public office. Human Rights Watch voiced alarm over the arrests and warned of possible “unfair legal proceedings” in an opaque judicial system.
The crackdown coincided with the arrest of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King Salman’s brother, and the king’s nephew, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was previously Crown Prince.
Relatives of Saad al-Jabri, a former top intelligence agent and aide to bin Nayef, have also been included in the campaign. Al-Jabri, who lives in exile in Canada, recently filed a lawsuit in the United States accusing MBS of sending a strike squad in 2018 to assassinate him.
Prince Fahd, the royal member fired on Tuesday, was a commander of the Saudi Royal Ground Forces, paratroopers and special forces units before becoming joint forces commander in the coalition, according to the Saudi daily Arab News.
His father was a former Deputy Minister of Defense.
The king’s decree said the crown prince appointed Lieutenant General Mutlaq bin Salim bin Mutlaq al-Azima to replace Prince Fahd.
The coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that toppled the Saudi-backed government from power in Sana’a. The conflict, seen as an indirect war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been in a military stalemate for years.
|
Be part of quality journalism |
|
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money, and hard work to produce, and despite all the difficulties, we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what matters to you, publish great stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today, more people than ever are reading the Kashmir Observer, but only a handful are paying as ad revenue is falling rapidly. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | 100 rupees |
 |
| ANNUAL | 1000 rupees |
|
| LIFETIME | 10,000 rupees |
|
CLICK FOR DETAILS
Agencies
Related
[ad_2]
