56 graft suspects still in detention; settlements valued at over SR400bn

Saudi Arabian Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al-Mojeb said on Tuesday that 56 corruption suspects were still in custody out of 381 people detained on graft charges.

Al-Mojeb also said that total settlements with the suspects had topped SR400 billion in various forms of assets, which include real estate, commercial entities, securities and cash.

The Attorney General, as a member of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Committee, said in a statement that the subpoenaed individuals were called to testify or provide evidence.

“The review of the case files relating to those who were accused of corruption has been completed. Negotiations and settlement with those individuals who were charged with corruption were concluded, and cases were transferred to the Public Prosecution office to complete the relevant procedures. As a result, the Public Prosecution office decided to release all individuals against whom there was not sufficient evidence and also release all individuals with whom the government accepted to make settlements after they admitted to corruption allegations against them,” the statement said.

The attorney general refused to make settlements with 56 people due to other pending criminal cases against them and in order to complete the investigation process as required by the law.

In an earlier announcement the attorney general said that after the settlement phase was over, the work of the anti-corruption committee would enter a new phase, referring the detainees to the public prosecution.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office will examine the cases of those referred to it by the Committee and complete the legal procedures against them, including continuing the investigation.

The last step at this stage is either that the Public Prosecutor’s Office releases the accused once the investigation has been completed, because there is not sufficient evidence against him and that there is no basis for prosecution, or that the case is brought against him in accordance with the established procedures.

The Code of Criminal Procedure provides the accused with a number of rights, including but not limited to the right to be assisted by an agent or lawyer in the investigation and trial stages, the right to communicate with a person who wants to inform him of his arrest and the right not to be detained for more than six months except by a decision of the competent court.