Article 7 of the Saudi Anti-Bribery Law
المادة 7 من نظام مكافحة الرشوة
The article punishes, with the penalty in Article 1, anyone who uses force, violence or threat against a public employee to obtain an unlawful act from him or to make him refrain from a duty assigned to him by law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب بالعقوبة المنصوص عليها في المادة الأولى من هذا النظام من يستعمل القوة أو العنف أو التهديد في حق موظف عام ليحصل منه على قضاء أمر غير مشروع أو ليحمله على اجتناب أداء عمل من الأعمال المكلف بها نظاما.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 7 explained in plain English
This article protects the public employee from pressure by force: instead of being offered money, he is compelled by violence or threat to violate his duty.
The criminalized acts: using force, violence or threat against a public employee.
The purpose the text requires: the act must be for one of two things:
- For the offender to obtain from the employee the doing of an unlawful matter.
- Or to make him refrain from performing an act assigned to him by law.
The article does not punish a mere disagreement or quarrel with the employee, but requires that the use of force, violence or threat be intended for one of these two purposes.
The penalty: the article refers to the penalty in Article 1, which is imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding SAR 1 million, or either of these penalties.
The meaning of "public employee" here is understood in light of Article 8, which treats as equivalent to him, for the application of this Law, categories including: anyone who works for the State or one of the bodies with public legal personality permanently or temporarily, an arbitrator or expert appointed by the government or a body with judicial jurisdiction, anyone assigned by a government body or administrative authority to perform a particular task, and those working at the public utility companies and joint-stock and banking companies mentioned in it.
Anyone who has been in such a situation or faces an accusation of it would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal matters.
Practical example
A person threatened to harm an inspector at a city municipality if he did not issue him a license that does not meet the requirements. This person is punished with the penalty in Article 1 because he used a threat against a public employee to obtain an unlawful matter from him.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 7 of the Saudi Anti-Bribery Law
What is the penalty for threatening a government employee to force him to do something unlawful?
He is punished with the penalty in Article 1: imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years and a fine not exceeding SAR 1 million, or either.
Does the article apply to someone who uses force to stop an employee from doing his work?
Yes, if he used force, violence or threat to make the employee refrain from performing an act assigned to him by law.
Who is a public employee under this article?
Article 8 specifies who is treated as equivalent to a public employee, including those working for the State permanently or temporarily and those assigned by a government body to a particular task.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Penalty for Bribery
- Article 1
The article treats as a bribe-taker any public employee who requests, accepts or takes a promise or gift to perform an act of his job, punishable by up to ten years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 1 million, or either.
كل موظف عام طلب لنفسه أو لغيره أو قبل أو أخذ وعدا أو عطية لأداء عمل من أعمال وظيفته أو يزعم أنه من أعمال وظيفته ولو كان هذا العمل مشروعا، يعد مرتشيا ويعاقب بالس
- Article 2
The article treats as a bribe-taker a public employee who requests, accepts or takes a promise or gift to refrain from an act of his job, punishable under Article 1.
كل موظف عام طلب لنفسه أو لغيره أو قبل أو أخذ وعدا أو عطية للامتناع عن عمل من أعمال وظيفته أو يزعم أنه من أعمال وظيفته ولو كان هذا الامتناع مشروعا، يعد مرتشيا وي
- Article 3
The article treats as a bribe-taker a public employee who requests, accepts or takes a promise or gift to breach his job duties or as a reward for what he did, even without a prior agreement.
كل موظف عام طلب لنفسه أو لغيره أو قبل أو أخذ وعدا أو عطية للإخلال بواجبات وظيفته أو لمكافأته على ما وقع منه ولو كان ذلك بدون اتفاق سابق، يعد مرتشيا ويعاقب بالعق
- Article 4
The article treats as the equivalent of a bribe-taker a public employee who breaches his job duties as a result of a request, recommendation or mediation, punishable by up to three years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either.
كل موظف عام أخل بواجبات وظيفته بأن قام بعمل أو امتنع عن عمل من أعمال تلك الوظيفة نتيجة لرجاء أو توصية أو وساطة، يعد في حكم المرتشي ويعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز ث
- Article 5Amended by M/38
The article treats as a bribe-taker any person who requests, accepts or takes a promise or gift to use real or claimed influence to obtain a benefit from a public authority.
كل شخص طلب لنفسه أو لغيره أو قبل أو أخذ وعدا أو عطية لاستعمال نفوذ حقيقي أو مزعوم للحصول أو لمحاولة الحصول من أية سلطة عامة على عمل أو أمر أو قرار أو التزام أو
- Article 12
The article broadens the meaning of promise or gift in bribery offenses to include every benefit or advantage the bribe-taker can obtain, material or non-material, of whatever type or name.
يعتبر من قبيل الوعد أو العطية - في تطبيق هذا النظام - كل فائدة أو ميزة يمكن أن يحصل عليها المرتشي أيا كان نوع هذه الفائدة أو تلك الميزة أو اسمها سواء كانت مادية
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.