The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a Saudi lady and her foreign brother, of Yemeni nationality, after a court ruling convicted them of the crime of commercial concealment. The lady was found guilty by enabling the expat to engage in an illegal trade activity by refining auto used oil in a farm in Al-Kharj Governorate. The expat used to manage this illegal activity and to work for his own account, besides employing illegal labors .
In details, MCI inspection teams detected, on April 18, 2018, a case of commercial fraud at an unlicensed plant located in a farm in the province of Al-Kharj. The labors used to refine auto used oil after collecting such oil from the workshops and storing it in tanks of 75 thousand liters. They refine the used oil by boiling it up to 600 ° C. Then they produce more than 12 different kinds of adulterated auto oil.
Upon raiding the site by MCI inspectors, they suspected a case of commercial concealment. They seized evidences and documents which prove that. Accordingly, those involved were referred to the concerned authorities for taking the legal measures against them.
The judgment issued by Riyadh Criminal Court included imposing a fine on the violators, closing the Est., liquidating the trade activity, canceling the licenses, collecting zakat, fees and taxes, in addition to writing off the commercial register, preventing the Saudi Lady of practicing the same trade activity, and deporting the expat from the Kingdom after the execution of the judgment, and not to be allowed to return for work, besides defamation by publishing the ruling 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.