Saudi suspends 126 local government workers on corruption charges

Saudi Arabia suspended 126 local government employees at municipalities across the kingdom on corruption charges.

“They are charged with involvement in a number of cases including financial and managerial corruption, abuse of power as well as other legal and criminal violations,” the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs said on Twitter.

Last year, King Salman ordered specialised anti-corruption units to be established in the public prosecutor's office. The move was intended to "increase effectiveness" and accelerate the process of combating corruption, Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said.

The units were set up to investigate and prosecute corruption cases.

The decision came after Saudi Arabia held dozens of princes, ministers and tycoons in Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in 2017 in an anti-corruption push led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Mojeb has previously said that $107 billion was recovered in the crackdown in various forms of assets that included property, securities and cash.