RIYADH: Minister of Social Affairs Majed Al-Qassabi on Saturday fired six employees and put 30 others under investigation for fraud.

According to Undersecretary Mohammed Al-Aqlan, the fraud was discovered after the government launched a probe into how many people were receiving social benefits from the government.

The first phase uncovered 71,564 people who were not eligible for financial assistance. Of this number, there were 11,389 Saudis living abroad for over 90 days, 1,129 owned businesses, 1,758 were dead, and 65 had civil service jobs.

Al-Osaimi said that people can object to the findings. Those who had gone abroad as patients or for study must bring proof of this.

He said the first phase of the probe shows that as many as 107,000 people own property illegally.