The Saudi government has released Sheikh Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, an Ethiopian-born billionaire who was arrested in November 2017, in an anti-corruption sweep. The high-profile sweep in 2017 netted hundreds of top Saudi officials and influential business people and consolidated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s power in the Kingdom, and beyond. Saudi officials have denied the allegations. In an email to VOA shortly after the arrest, Tim Pendry, al-Amoudi’s London-based spokesman, downplayed any impact on al-Amoudi’s business interests. But with both roots, and decades of involvement, in the country, al-Amoudi may have operated within a loophole.

Source: Ethiopian News January 27, 2019 21:37 UTC