The National Anti-Commercial Concealment Program has clarified that the court has the authority to free individuals involved in concealment crimes from the penalties outlined in the law.
In accordance with Article (2) of the exemption rules within the law, the court can grant exemption to an individual involved in a concealment practice from the prescribed penalties and subsequent punishment if the following conditions are met:
1. The individual shall have ceased committing the crime when reporting it.
2. According to the law, the individual has a responsibility to promptly and proactively inform the Ministry about the occurrence of the crime or disclose the identities of any individuals involved in it before the competent authorities discover it.
3. No one else involved in the crime should have reported it before.
4. The individual must cooperate with the Ministry and the authorities from the date of reporting until the investigation procedures involving the parties are completed.
5. The individual should provide evidence or information that supports the commission of the crime.
6. The individual must not destroy, forge, or hide any relevant information or evidence related to the crime.
7. The report should lead to the identification of other individuals involved in the crime or prevent them from controlling it.
The penalties prescribed in the Anti-Concealment Law are as follows: Imprisonment for a period of up to five years; a fine of up to five million riyals; seizure and forfeiture of any illicit funds after final court rulings against the individuals involved.
In addition to these statutory penalties, there are additional sanctions, which include: Shutdown of the business, liquidation of the business operations, revocation of commercial registrations, prohibition from conducting commercial activities; payment of zakat and taxes; deportation of the individual involved in the concealment practices from the Kingdom, with a permanent ban on their return for employment.