New Delhi: The senior Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdullah has been released from detention after paying more than $1 billion in a settlement with authorities, a Saudi official said.
Miteb, 65, the son of the late King Abdullah and former head of the elite National Guard was arrested over allegations of corruption.
Born in 1953, Prince Miteb was the last remaining member of late King Abdullah’s Shammar branch of the family to retain an important position at the top of the Saudi hierarchy.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered dozens of top princes and businessmen to be detained after investigators said they uncovered at least $100 billion in corruption.
Prince Miteb denied the corruption allegations and accused Prince Salman of using the anti-corruption campaign to boost his power in the kingdom.
The arrests of royals and top businessmen received support from many Saudis who were frustrated by corruption. However, the crackdown is also seen by many people as a pre-emptive step by Prince Mohammed to remove any possible challenge to his control over the kingdom.
Miteb bin Abdullah became the commander of SANG in 2010, replacing King Abdullah. He conducted a major $3 billion reorganization of SANG to develop its firepower and artillery.
The Saudi Arabian National Guard Forces, also known as the White Army is one of the three major branches of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of the National Guard, instead of the Ministry of Defense. It is loyal to the House of Saud and is tasked with protecting the royal family from internal dangers such as a coup d’état.
The SANG was transformed into a ministerial body on 27 May 2013 and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the former commander of the SANG, became the minister of National Guard.
Prince Mohammed launched a series of reforms designed to transform the kingdom’s moribund economy and put the relationship between the state and its citizens on a new footing.
While analysts see this move as a step taken by the King to make way for the succession of his favorite son many believe that the King wants the Al Abdullah branch of the royal family to be sidelined from politics and internal affairs.
