RIYADH: Dozens of high-profile Saudi political and business figures arrested in an anti-corruption sweep will face trial, the Attorney-General said on Monday, after the biggest purge of the kingdom's elite in its modern history.
Authorities hinted they could widen the crackdown after princes, ministers as well as billionaire tycoon Alwaleed bin Talal were swept up in the weekend purge - hours after an anti-graft commission headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was established.
The purge underscores an unprecedented restructuring of the kingdom as Prince Mohammed steps up a dramatic reform drive for a post-oil era while consolidating power before his eventual succession as king.
"All those suspected... will have full access to legal resources, and the trials will be held in a timely and open manner," Attorney-General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said in a statement, describing the crackdown as "phase one".
"A great deal of evidence has already been gathered, and detailed questioning has taken place," he added, without specifying a timeframe for the trials.
Mojeb said the authorities were forced to pursue their investigations "discreetly" in order to ensure that "there was no flight from justice".