RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce has publicly named two Saudi citizens and a Yemeni resident after they were convicted of engaging in a commercial concealment scheme involving the sale of mobile phone accessories in Riyadh. According to a ruling by the Criminal Court in Riyadh, the Saudi business owner and his agent were found guilty of allowing the Yemeni resident to operate the business independently, without a foreign investment license. The resident was granted full control over the establishment's operations and was found to have financial dealings far exceeding his declared income as a sales representative, transferring illicit profits abroad. The court imposed a SR15,000 fine to be shared among the convicted individuals, revoked the business license, cancelled the commercial registration, and ordered the business to be liquidated. It also mandated the collection of all due taxes, zakat, and government fees. The convicted Saudis were banned from engaging in commercial activity, while the Yemeni national will be deported and barred from re-entering the Kingdom for work. The Ministry of Commerce reaffirmed that under the Anti-Concealment Law, penalties can reach up to five years in prison and SR5 million in fines, along with the seizure of illicit funds once a final verdict is issued.
