The Ministry of Commerce has defamed a branch of a commercial Est. specialized in the trade of nuts, sweets and coffee, and the owner in Al-Rass Governorate, after a court ruling convicted them of violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law by possessing, offering and selling spoiled nuts, not fit for the human consumption. This is considered a punishable offense, since this act may pose risk on the health and safety of consumers.
The Ministry has published the judicial ruling issued by the Criminal Court in Riyadh, including a fine, confiscation and destruction of the seized products, and defamation by publishing the verdict in two newspapers at the expense of the violators.
In details, MC inspection teams received a complaint against the said Est. and after carrying out the necessary inspection, they seized 14 kilograms of spoiled nuts, not fit for the human consumption, as it became clear that there were worms inside the offered quantity. Accordingly, the rotten items were confiscated and destroyed, and the violation was referred to the concerned authorities for taking the legal measures in accordance with the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law.
The Ministry of Commerce would like to affirm the continuation of addressing those violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law and to impose the legal penalties against them, due to the risks they may pose on the health and safety of consumers. Notably, the regulations provide for penalties of up to three-year imprisonment, a fine of up to one million riyals or both, and defamation by publishing the verdict in local newspapers at the violators’ expense, besides deporting the illegal labors from the Kingdom.
MC urges all consumers to lodge their complaints and reports through MC Consumer Call Center (1900), or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or via the Ministry’s website.