The Ministry of Justice has foiled a whopping SR400 billion corrupt land deal, according to a leading judge and Shoura Council member.
Issa Al-Ghaith revealed this information on his Twitter account late Wednesday.
"The Riyadh Appeals Court has nullified corrupt land trading of millions of square meters worth SR400 billion ($106.6 billion) at current valuations," Al-Ghaith wrote. He did not provide further details.
This is believed to be the first exposure of a land deal of this magnitude, and comes amid efforts by the Saudi government to crack down on corruption in the public sector.
Security expert Mohammed Al-Kuwaiz praised the recent reforms in the ministry aimed at curbing illegal transactions.
Sulaiman Al-Shalan, an economist, said “We hope the government will seize this vast land and give it to the Ministry of Housing to expedite the mega-housing project for the Saudi people.”
Lawyer Abdullah Hamza said that Al-Ghaith’s statement is “true and the Ministry of Justice is one of the best organized government bodies to fight corruption.”
Anti-graft organizations have recently intensified their crackdown on corrupt land deals.
Justice Ministry foils corrupt SR400bn land deal
Justice Ministry foils corrupt SR400bn land deal
