The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen and an expat of Syrian nationality, after a judicial ruling condemning them for the crime of commercial concealment. The citizen was found guilty by enabling the expatriate to engage in an illegal commercial activity and to work for his own account in contracting activity in the city of Riyadh. The evidence proved that the ownership of the Est. belongs to the Expat, but it was covered up under the name of the citizen, also the financial transactions of the Expat doesn't match with his profession as a "building supervisor", as well as he used to manage and execute the building contracts, besides dealing with other establishments and individuals as the owner of the Est.
A verdict issued by the Criminal Court in Riyadh, to condemn the citizen and the Expat for the crime of cover-up, besides imposing a fine of one hundred thousand riyals, closing the Est., liquidating its trade activity, cancelling the license, writing off the commercial registration, preventing the citizen of practicing the same trade activity, collecting zakat, fees and taxes, deporting the Expat from kingdom after the execution of the ruling and not to be allowed to return for work, also publishing the verdict in a local newspaper at the expense of the violators.
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.