Faqih to King Abdullah: Get a grip (King's terror financing, 2010)

Money Jihad ^ | January 17, 2010

[Uncle Miltie]

Saudi Arabia’s top auditor, Osama Al Faqih, has presented King Abdullah with a report of “massive abuse of public funds” throughout the kingdom. Faqih cited illegal spending and off-budget expenditures. From Emirates Business 24/7 earlier this week:

Saudi Arabia’s top government auditing body has reported massive abuse of public funds in a report presented to King Abdullah to seek his support for an intensifying anti-corruption crackdown in the world’s oil superpower.

The General Auditing Bureau (GAB) complained to King Abdullah on Sunday that government offices are involved in illegal spending of public money while some are holding up projects and others do not comply with budgetary allocations.

GAB’s Chairman Osama Al Faqih told the monarch that many public institutions have failed to heed the cabinet decision and set up in-house auditing units to ensure discipline and curb financial malpractices. “We are looking forward to your majesty’s support to enable the bureau to perform its duties properly,” Faqih said.

“We hope that you issue instructions to government departments to ensure full co-operation with the bureau so it can carry out its role objectively and independently to cope with the large increase in public expenditure.”

This is not just an accounting scandal. Public funds from Saudi Arabia are finding their way into the coffers of the Taliban and Al Qaeda affiliates, and Saudi bureaucrats and royals are responsible. The government agencies are refusing to cooperate with auditors or to create their own accounting offices because their financial crimes would become public.

[Uncle Miltie]

King Abdullah turned a blind eye to his government's financing of Al Qaeda: "Public funds from Saudi Arabia are finding their way into the coffers of the Taliban and Al Qaeda affiliates, and Saudi bureaucrats and royals are responsible."