Saudi intensifies corruption crackdown

Saudi Arabia's National Anti-Corruption Commission has forwarded on 400 corruption cases related to negligence and delays in implementing vital projects to higher authorities, according to chairman Muhammad Al Shareef, it was reported.

Al Shareef said the commission had received more than 20m SMS messages and 25 reports related to corruption, with periodic and annual reports sent to King Abdullah.

However, only those found guilty of corruption by a court are named and shamed in the media, Saudi Gazette reported.

Commentators in the kingdom have noted that a solution to eradicate rampant corruption through the so-called ‘how did you earn this money” accountability system was introduced 40 years ago but had never come into force.

Columnist Abid Khazandar wrote in Al-Riyadh daily this month that the ostentatious display of wealth by some former government officials posed questions about the way they earned the money.

He said most of the officials did not hold high positions and were not paid large salaries, yet some had expensive properties.

Deputy chairman of Nazaha, Abdullah Al Abdulqader, said last year the commission had proposed a system regarding government officials’ illegitimate earning of money and submitted the proposal to King Abdullah.