The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen after a judicial ruling condemning him for the crime of commercial concealment. It has been proved that the citizen enables an expat of Arab nationality to practice commercial activity using the citizen's commercial register, and working for his own account in livestock in the markets and restaurants of Najran.
The judgment issued by the Criminal Court in Riyadh included a fine on the violator, prohibiting him of practicing the same trade activity, payment of Zakat, fees, taxes and any other charges, and defamation by publishing the ruling in a local newspaper at the expense of the violator.
In details, MCI received a tip about a citizen who is covering up an expat and enabling him to practice a trade activity for his own account, by buying sheep from the markets of Najran, and selling them to a number of restaurants in Riyadh, Al Kharj and Dammam.
MCI inspection teams have seized evidences confirming the deposit of large sums of money by the expat, resulting from the illegal trading activity, which does not commensurate with his job as a farmer or income. Accordingly, a commercial concealment case has been proved, and the case was referred to the Public Prosecution, then to the judiciary for taking the legal measures against the violators in accordance with the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law.
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment calls on all citizens and residents in all regions of the Kingdom to report cases of commercial concealment through the Ministry's Consumer Call Center (1900) or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or via the Ministry's website. Notably, MCI is granting an award of up to 30% of the total sentenced fines after collection. The fine may reach one million riyals against each violator.
It is worth mentioning that the Royal Supreme Authority has approved recently the implementation of the recommendations of the National Program for Combating the Commercial Concealment, which involves ten government agencies. This program aims to address and combat commercial concealment in all sectors, besides developing relevant regulations and legislations, also stimulating e-commerce and using technical solutions. This program aims as well at regulating and organizing the financial transactions to eliminate transferring of money abroad, as well as enhancing development in the private sector, also creating attractive jobs for Saudis and encouraging them to invest in various trade activities, more over finding solutions to the problem of illegal ownership of foreigners in the private sector.