RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) announced Sunday the arrest of several suspects in criminal corruption cases involving employees in government and private entities, saying legal procedures are under way to hold them accountable.In a statement, the authority said that, in coordination with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), it arrested a non-Saudi resident working as a projects director at a PIF-affiliated company for receiving SR2.175 million from two Saudi nationals, who were also detained, and from another non-Saudi resident serving as chief executive of a commercial entity, also arrested.The payments were allegedly made in exchange for awarding a project to renovate a company-owned site and enabling the commercial entities to obtain subcontracting work on the project.Nazaha also said it arrested a Health Affairs employee while he was receiving SR500,000 in exchange for facilitating the qualification and awarding of two projects worth a combined SR384.3 million to a commercial entity.Investigations showed that the total agreed bribe amounted to SR10 million, of which SR4.5 million had already been received from the entity’s chief executive, who was detained.The employee then distributed the funds to the director of engineering affairs, his assistant, and the head of the bid review committee, all of whom were arrested.In cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, authorities also arrested a retired non-commissioned officer for embezzling SR2.16 million seized in criminal cases during his time working at a police station.A civil defense non-commissioned officer was arrested for soliciting bribes from commercial entities in exchange for overlooking safety violations.Another soldier at a police station, along with two Saudi citizens, was detained for jointly stealing SR1.4 million from a non-Saudi resident.The authority further reported the arrest of three Civil Status employees who received SR850,000 in installments from a Saudi citizen, who was also detained, in exchange for illegally registering births and issuing national identity cards.Three employees from municipal authorities were also arrested. One was caught receiving SR300,000 of an agreed SR800,000 bribe for facilitating licensing procedures and zoning approvals for undeveloped land.The second received SR20,000 from a detained citizen for facilitating the awarding of a municipal construction and development project as a member of a bid review committee.The third accepted bribes for issuing building permits and completion certificates illegally, in cooperation with a non-Saudi contractor who was arrested.Nazaha also detained an employee at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and a non-Saudi resident for receiving bribes from citizens in exchange for opening files and updating eligibility for livestock support through falsified livestock registration.Another employee at a regional development authority was arrested for hiring his wife at companies contracted with his employer, where she received monthly salaries without attending work.The authority stressed that it will continue to monitor and pursue anyone who abuses public office or public funds, even after leaving their position, noting that financial and administrative corruption crimes do not expire under Saudi law. It reiterated that all offenders will be held accountable without leniency.