Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the Saudi billionaire who invested in Twitter and Rupert Murdoch's news empire, was released from detention Saturday at a plush Riyadh hotel where he and other princes were held as part of anti-corruption crackdown, according to media reports. Several princes, ministers and former ministers have been released since their arrest in November and detention in the Ritz-Carlton hotel.
On Friday, another major media player, Waleed al-Ibrahim, owner of the influential Arab satellite network MBC, was also freed, according to AFP news agency. Some 350 suspects, including princes, were rounded up Nov. 4 in a purported crackdown on corruption spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old son of the king and heir apparent.
The allegations against Prince Al-Waleed included money-laundering, bribery and extorting officials, one official told Reuters at the time of his arrest.
Al-Waleed returned to his residence in Riyadh on Saturday, Reuters reported. He told the news agency earlier that he expected to be cleared of charges and released from custody within days.
"There are no charges. There are just some discussions between me and the government," the 62-year-old prince said in an exclusive, televised interview with Reuters.
Al-Waleed, CEO and owner of the Kingdom Holding Company, has a net worth estimated by Forbes magazine at $17 billion. He has invested in such companies as Citigroup, Apple, 21st Century-Fox and is part owner of New York City's Plaza Hotel.
The prince, often shown aboard his super-yacht in the Mediterranean, is among the most outspoken Saudi royals and a longtime advocate of women’s rights.
"I believe we are on the verge of finishing everything within days," he told Reuters.
The state news agency Al Arabiya said earlier this week that 95 people were still being retained and that corruption-related settlements were winding down in preparation for referring the remaining defendants to the public prosecutor.
"Only a couple of days until cases of corruption-related settlements are closed in preparation for referring remaining defendants to the public prosecution," state news agency Al Arabiya reported. "Ninety-five people are still detained."
The settlements, totaling around $100 billion, will help the Saudi government finance a multi-million dollar aid package announced by King Salman to help citizens deal with the rising cost of living, Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told Al Arabiya television in Davos this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment