Saudi Arabia arrests senior officials involved in coronavirus corruption

One scam involved charging commission to hotels for contracts to house quarantined citizens at inflated rates

A Saudi money exchanger wears a protective face mask and gloves as he counts Saudi riyal currency at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2020. Reuters

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. Reuters

Members of the Saudi armed forces attend prayers at a mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah on April 3, 2020. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. Reuters

A policeman wearing a protective face mask blocks the road during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. Reuters

A combination of photos shows a small crowd of worshippers around the sacred Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque on March 7, 2020, and a large crowd during the pilgrimage, on August 13, 2019. AFP

Muslim worshippers circumambulate the sacred Kaaba in Makkah's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, on April 3, 2020. AFP

A man checks his phone as he crosses an empty street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah on April 3, 2020. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. AFP

Birds are seen near the Grand Mosque during a curfew. Reuters

Police officers man a checkpoint in a street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah on April 3, 2020. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. AFP

The clock tower is lit up with the phrase "Home Heroes" during a curfew. Reuters

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. Reuters

The deserted old town of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah. AFP

A view of a deserted street during a curfew imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the holy city of Makkah. Reuters

The announcement comes amid uncertainty over the hajj which is due to take place at the end of July, after authorities this week urged Muslims to temporarily defer preparations for the annual pilgrimage. AFP

The measures bar people from entering and exiting the capital as well as Jeddah, Mecca and Medina and prohibiting movement between all provinces to stem the spread of coronavirus with the number of deaths from the disease rising to 21. AFP

Pigeons fly around closed shops in the old town of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on April 2, 2020. AFP

A vegetable seller wearing a protective face mask sells fruits and vegetables at a market before markets close, to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease, in Riyadh. Reuters

Branded oil tanks at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters

At least three senior Saudi officials have been arrested along with other people for trying to profit illegally from the coronavirus outbreak in the kingdom, state media reported on Sunday.

Two of the officials worked in the health ministry and were involved in a scheme to overcharge the government for the hotel quarantine stays of citizens returning from abroad, said an official source in the Saudi anti-corruption agency Nazaha.

The officials, working with six other people including a hotel owner, charged "commissions" from hotels to obtain state contracts from the health ministry for the quarantine stays, the official told the Saudi Press Agency.

They colluded with a senior official in the tourism ministry who submitted inflated rates to the health ministry for the accommodation of those returning, causing a loss to the state, according to the anti-corruption agency.

The tourism ministry official had admitted to wrongdoing and wasting public funds, and legal proceedings have been started against all those involved, the Nazaha source told Spa.

Working with Riyadh police, the agency also uncovered a scheme involving expatriates to counterfeit movement permits that would allow the holders to bypass lockdowns imposed by the government to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Thirty-one permits were produced and were being sold for 3,000 riyals (Dh2,931) each.

The scheme involved a military employee at the interior ministry who colluded with a relative working at the health ministry to produce permits ostensibly issued by the defence ministry, Spa reported.

It said all those involved had been arrested by the Riyadh police.

The anti-corruption agency appealed for information on any other financial or administrative scams undermining the kingdom's efforts against the coronavirus.

It said such crimes carried no statute of limitations under the anti-corruption law, whereas those involved who reported such crimes before being caught could be exempt from punishment.