The Ministry of Commerce has defamed an expat of Egyptian nationality after a court ruling condemning him of violating the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law by operating a fuel station in Hail.
The Ministry has published a summary of the judicial ruling issued by the Criminal Court in Hail, including imposing a fine, closing the facility, liquidating its activities, canceling the license, writing off the commercial registration, collecting zakat, fees and taxes, in addition to deporting the expat from the Kingdom and not to be allowed to return for work, besides defamation by publishing the ruling in a local newspaper at the expense of the violator.
It should be noted that the new law for combating the commercial concealment, which was recently approved by the Council of Ministers, relied on mechanisms that contribute to eliminating the sources of commercial concealment and putting an end to the shadow economy.
The law included heavy penalties of up five-year imprisonment, a fine of up to five million riyals, seizure and confiscation of the illegal funds of the violators, after final court rulings were issued against them, in addition to other penalties, including closing the facility, liquidating its trade activity, writing off the commercial registry and preventing the convicted person from practicing any economic activity for a period of five years, besides deporting the expat from the Kingdom and not to be allowed to return for work.
The Ministry of Commerce receives reports and complaints about the commercial concealment through MC Consumer Call Center (1900), or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or via the Ministry’s website. Notably, the Ministry grants a financial reward to the informer of up to 30% of the total fines after collection, which may reach to five million riyals against each violator.