Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday it has detained 201 people as part of a sweeping probe, estimating that at least $100 billion has been misused through embezzlement and corruption in past decades.

The kingdom's Attorney General Saud Al Mojeb said in a statement that 208 people had been called in for questioning since Saturday evening, and that seven people were released without charge, leaving 201 people still in detention.

The figure released by the government is far larger than previously reported as it appears more arrests were made throughout the week.

"The potential scale of corrupt practices which have been uncovered is very large," the information ministry said in a statement. "Based on our investigations over the past three years, we estimate that at least $100 billion has been misused through systematic corruption and embezzlement over several decades," the ministry said.

The government has declined to name the individuals being questioned, saying it is respecting their privacy during this phase of the process.

Source: Khaleej Times