RIYADH — The Criminal Court in Taif sentenced a Pakistani resident to six months in prison and deportation after convicting him of commercial cover-up. He was found guilty of violating the Anti-Commercial Cover-Up Law through engaging in the provision supply activity in the Taif governorate. The Pakistani was arrested for practicing commercial activity on his own account without a foreign investor license, and transferring funds resulting from his illegal activity outside the Kingdom. The Ministry of Commerce publicized his name in the local media at his own personal expense as per the court ruling. The court ordered to deport him from the Kingdom after the execution of the ruling and prevent him from returning to the Kingdom for work, in addition to canceling the commercial register, liquidating the facility's activity, preventing it from practicing commercial activity, and collecting zakat, fees and taxes. It is noteworthy that the National Program to Combat Commercial Cover-Up has set ten criteria for establishments' commitment to the approved market rules and it is being monitored continuously. The Anti-Commercial Cover-Up Law also stipulates penalties of up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of SR5 million, in addition to seizing and confiscating illegal funds after final court rulings were issued.
