RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered protection for employees who report financial and administrative corruption, Al Arabiya TV reported on Sunday, as part of an effort to combat graft that saw dozens of royals and top businessmen detained last year.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is seen during the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia April 15, 2018.
Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS.
The decree shields whistleblowers from “violation of their privileges or rights”, the Saudi-run broadcaster said in an online report, without providing details.
Most of the people detained in the anti-corruption drive, including global investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, were released from Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel after being exonerated or reaching financial settlements with the government.
The anti-corruption campaign is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s push to transform an oil-dependent economy, long plagued by graft, that must now cope with lower crude prices.
But it remains shrouded in secrecy, with few details of the allegations or the financial settlements disclosed. »