Cairo: A Saudi court has convicted a Saudi national and a Syrian expatriate of involvement in a business cover-up and slapped a fine of SR40,000 on them, the Ministry of Commerce has said.
The Saudi man was found guilty of violating labour regulations by covering up the Syrian and enabling him to illegally run a private business dealing in spare parts of washing machines in Riyadh, the ministry added, according to Okaz newspaper.
The ministry has released the ruling issued by a court in Riyadh, which also orders the shutdown of the business, liquidating it, revoking the license and its trade register as well as banning the Saudi from doing business and obliging him to pay overdue taxes.
Named and shamed
The court has also ordered the Syrian convict be permanently deported from the kingdom and naming to shame both by publishing the verdict in a local newspaper at the expense of the two offenders.
Last year, Saudi Arabia launched the National Programme for Combat of Commercial Cover-ups, an affiliate of the Ministry of Commerce, with support from several state institutions in Saudi Arabia including the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, the Ministry of Municipal and Village Affairs, the General Investment Authority, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority and the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority.
In undertaking the mission of exposing commercial covers-up, the programme promotes opening bank accounts for businesses, automating services and boosting commercial transparency.
