In a significant legal development, the Criminal Court in Riyadh has handed down a two-year prison sentence to a Saudi citizen and an Asian national following their conviction for commercial concealment, commonly known as cover-up. Additionally, the court imposed hefty fines of SR500,000 on each of the convicted individuals.
The verdict stems from the duo's involvement in commercial cover-up activities, a violation of the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law. As part of the punitive measures, the court ordered the confiscation of illicit funds discovered in the accounts of both the citizen and the expatriate, along with the proceeds of their unlawful activities. Furthermore, counterfeit spare parts of cars and tools used in the crime were seized and confiscated.
The penalties also entail the liquidation and closure of the establishment involved, cancellation of its commercial register and license, and a five-year ban on engaging in related activities. Moreover, the Asian national faces deportation upon completion of the prison term, with a prohibition from returning to Saudi Arabia for work.
The National Anti-Commercial Concealment Program disclosed that punitive action was initiated based on intelligence regarding suspicious commercial practices. Following a raid by Nazaha officials, evidence of commercial fraud was gathered, revealing the storage of counterfeit car spare parts and the packaging of low-quality items bearing trademarks of reputable brands.
Investigations unveiled that the Saudi citizen received perfumes and a mobile phone as gifts from the Asian resident, with the intention of luring him into facilitating illegal commercial activities. The Asian resident was found to be managing the facility for personal gain, paying a monthly fee not exceeding SR1000 to the citizen in exchange for his complicity in the cover-up.
During the probe, it was determined that the total proceeds from the cover-up operation amounted to approximately SR30 million. Additionally, it was revealed that the citizen had handed over the establishment's bank accounts to the expatriate, further implicating them in the illicit scheme.
