APPARENT SUICIDE OF FORMER EP MABAHITH CHIEF

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000884 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2018 TAGS: EINV PGOV PREL SA SUBJECT: APPARENT SUICIDE OF FORMER EP MABAHITH CHIEF CONNECTED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT SCAM Classified By: Consul General John Kincannon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) Summary. The EP security and business communities have been buzzing over the presumed suicide of former EP Mabahith chief Major General Sulaiman Mohammad al-Alwani whose body was allegedly found hanging in the home of his son in Makkah on May 29th. Al-Alwani had a rapid fall from grace in the late 1990s in the wake of an embezzlement scam involving EP Governor Mohammad bin Fahd (MbF). End Summary. ¶2. (C) In the late 1990s, a Saudi/French/Lebanese citizen named Saeed al-Ayyas served as the business manager for EP Governor Prince Mohammad bin Fahd's private financial interests in Europe. Al-Ayyas allegedly embezzled SR 200 million and went into hiding. In circumstances that remain unclear, he was either kidnapped or persuaded to return to the Eastern Province several years ago to settle matters with Prince Mohammad. Upon arrival, he was detained by Mabahith officers under Alwani's command and put under house arrest at al-Khobar's Oasis compound under a 24-hour GID guard. Subsequently, al-Ayyas either escaped or managed to bribe his way out of his house imprisonment. Despite a large police presence at airports, the Bahrain causeway, and random checkpoints throughout the Eastern Province, al-Ayyas made a successful escape. ¶3. (C) In the wake of al-Ayyas's escape, MbF sacked both his Chief of Staff Dr. Hamad al-Sanad and Major General al-Alwani holding them personally responsible for al-Ayyas's escape. Previously one of MbF's closest aides and enjoying a reputation as a capable officer, Al-Alwani was briefly transferred to al-Qassim, forced into an early retirement, and moved back to al-Khobar. He became a "non-person" and disappeared from the local social scene since he was clearly out of favor with MbF and few ex-colleagues/businessmen wished to risk MbF's displeasure by being associated with him. (APPROVED:KINCANNON) GFOELLER