King Salman

:: King Salman announced two key changes in the Saudi Cabinet and ordered the formation of a super committee to combat corruption. The committee is to be headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In its first decision, the committee ordered the arrests of a number of princes and big businessmen for their involvement in corruption in different cases.

The two key changes in the Cabinet were that of National Guard Minister Miteb bin Abdullah, who was replaced by Prince Khaled bin Ayyaf, and Economy Minister Adel Fakieh, who was replaced by Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri.

Commander of the Navy, Abdullah Al-Sultan, was relieved of his position and has been replaced by Adm. Fahad Al-Ghofaili.

Besides the crown prince, the committee comprises heads of the Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha), Public Security, General Prosecutor and the Investigation Authority.

The job of the new anti-corruption committee will be to “identify offenses, crimes, persons and entities involved in cases of public corruption,” the royal decree said.

The committee is empowered to investigate, issue arrest warrants and travel bans, order financial disclosure and the freezing of accounts and portfolios, track funds and assets and prevent their remittance or transfer by persons and entities.

“The committee has the right to take any precautionary measures it sees fit, until they are referred to the investigating authorities or judicial bodies,” said the decree.

“It may take whatever measures deemed necessary to deal with those involved in public corruption cases and take what it considers to be the right of persons, entities, funds, fixed and movable assets, at home and abroad, return funds to the state treasury and register property and assets in the name of state property.”