Saudi penalized French, Lebanese nationals in tasattur case

RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce has named and shamed two French and Lebanese nationals after they were convicted of violating the Anti-Commercial Cover-up (tasattur) Law.

The ministry published the verdict issued against them by the Criminal Court in Riyadh, which includes a fine; closing the establishment; liquidating its business; canceling the license; revoking the commercial register and preventing them from practicing the activity.

The penalties also include collecting zakat, fees and taxes from them, in addition to their deportation and preventing them to return to the Kingdom for work, and naming and shaming them by publishing the verdict in a local newspaper at the expense of the violators.

The court found a French resident guilty as he obtained a foreign investment license and allowed a Lebanese national to engage in tasattur in violation of the regulations of the Anti-Commercial Cover-up Law.

The French resident handed over a contracting work in Riyadh city to the Lebanese for which the latter had no license. The French resident was found violating the rules by allowing the Lebanese to run his contracting establishment.

The investigation into the crime showed that the Lebanese resident, who is an engineer in architecture, had no license and related qualifications to run such commercial activity. He transferred money earned from the business to his country.

The ministry warned all foreign investors in the Kingdom not to engage in any commercial activities in violation of the regulations of the Anti-Commercial Cover-up Law and the violators will face stringent punitive measures.