Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is in the process of levelling corruption and disloyalty charges against his one-time competitor for the throne, Mohammed bin Nayef (MBN).
According to the Washington Post, the charges are part of the Crown Prince’s ruthless and ambitious efforts to secure his throne by tying up what he sees as loose ends and any potential future threats.
MBN, once a close ally of the US, having worked with the CIA as the former interior minister of the Kingdom, was arrested earlier this year on charges of corruption and plotting to overthrow MBS.
According to media reports, this current spate of palace politics harks back to 2015, shortly after King Salman acceded to the throne after the death of King Abdullah in January of that year.
The long-standing Saudi tradition names the Crown Prince as the heir apparent — a position MBN held until June 2017 when a sudden reshuffle resulted in him losing that position as well as that of interior minister. MBN was then placed under house arrest.
When it was announced that MBS, the son of King Salman, would become the new Crown Prince, MBN commented by saying, “I am content…I am going to rest now. May God help you.”
According to sources who spoke to the Washington Post, MBS’s “anti-corruption committee” will level charges against MBN for skimming billions of dollars when he was in charge of the interior ministry. MBN will be allegedly asked to re-pay more than $15 billion.
