Article 6 of the Saudi Anti-Concealment Law
المادة 6 من نظام مكافحة التستر · الفصل الثالث: الضبط والتحقيق والمحاكمة
The article names the bodies whose employees detect concealment offenses and violations, their inspection, examination and summoning powers, and the confidentiality of detection procedures.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يتولى ضبط الجرائم والمخالفات المنصوص عليها في النظام موظفون من: الوزارة، ووزارة الشؤون البلدية والقروية، ووزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية، ووزارة البيئة والمياه والزراعة، والهيئة العامة للزكاة والدخل، والجهات المختصة الأخرى، يصدر بتسميتهم قرار من الوزير -بعد موافقة جهاتهم- وتكون لهم صفة الضبط الجنائي.
2- تحدد اللائحة معايير اختيار الموظفين الذين لهم صفة الضبط الجنائي.
3- يقوم الموظفون الذين لهم صفة الضبط الجنائي -مجتمعين أو منفردين- بإجراء التقصي والبحث والاستدلال وضبط ما يقع من جرائم ومخالفات منصوص عليها في النظام، وتكون لهم الصلاحيات الآتية:
أ- الزيارات الرقابية ودخول المنشآت المشتبه بها ومكاتبها وفروعها ومستودعاتها وتفتيش المركبات التي تستخدمها، ويشمل ذلك أي موقع يمارس فيه النشاط الاقتصادي.
ب- فحص وضبط السجلات والبيانات والوثائق لدى المنشآت المشتبه بها.
ج- الاطلاع على تسجيلات كاميرات المراقبة للمنشآت.
د- طلب الإفصاح وتقديمِ المعلومات ذات الصلة بنشاط المنشأة من أي جهة أو شخص.
ه- تشميع المواقع والخزائن التي لا يمكن فتحها إلى حين فحصها.
و- استدعاء كل من يشتبه به وكل من لديه معلومة قد تفيد في كشف الجريمة أو المخالفة وسماع أقواله، وضبطها.
ز- الاستعانة بالشرطة والجهات المختصة عند الحاجة.
وعلى من له صفة الضبط الجنائي تقديم ما يثبت صفته عند ممارسة صلاحياته.
4- تحدد اللائحة الضوابط والإجراءات التي يتعين على من لهم صفة الضبط الجنائي التقيد بها في أداء مهماتهم وممارسة الصلاحيات المنصوص عليها في هذه المادة.
5- تكون إجراءات الضبط سرية، ولا يجوز الإفصاح ولا الكشف عن المعلومات والسجلات والبيانات والوثائق الخاصة بالمنشآت إلا في حدود ما يقتضيه العمل وفقًا لأحكام الأنظمة والقواعد ذات العلاقة.
6- تصدر بقرار من مجلس الوزراء -بناءً على اقتراح من الوزير- قواعد منح مكافآت مالية للعاملين على كشف الجرائم والمخالفات المنصوص عليها في النظام.
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 6 explained in plain English
This article regulates the work of the judicial police officers who detect concealment offenses and violations.
Who are they? Employees of the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the General Authority of Zakat and Income, and other competent bodies, named by the Minister by decision after their bodies approve. The Implementing Regulations set the criteria for selecting them.
Their powers (jointly or individually) during fact-finding, inquiry and evidence gathering:
- Supervisory visits and entering suspected establishments, their offices, branches and warehouses, and inspecting the vehicles they use, and any location where the activity is carried out.
- Examining and seizing records, data and documents held by suspected establishments.
- Viewing the establishments' surveillance camera recordings.
- Requesting disclosure and information relating to the establishment's activity from any body or person.
- Sealing locations and safes that cannot be opened until they are examined.
- Summoning suspects and anyone who has information that may help uncover the offense or violation, hearing their statements and recording them.
- Seeking the assistance of the police and the competent bodies when needed.
Safeguards for the establishment: The officer must present proof of his capacity when exercising his powers, and the Implementing Regulations set the controls and procedures he must follow. Detection procedures are also confidential, and information, records and documents of establishments may not be disclosed except as the work requires under the relevant laws.
The Council of Ministers issues, on the Minister's proposal, the rules for granting financial rewards to those who work on uncovering the offenses and violations. Under Article 7, these offenses and violations may be proved by all means of proof, including electronic evidence.
Practical example
A supervisory team visited the warehouse of a commercial establishment in Riyadh suspected of concealment. The warehouse owner asked one of them to prove his capacity, and he did so. The team then viewed the surveillance camera recordings and examined the invoices, and sealed a safe it could not open until it was examined. All of this falls within the powers set out in the article.
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 6 of the Saudi Anti-Concealment Law
Does a concealment inspector have the right to enter and search my shop?
Yes. The powers of judicial police officers include supervisory visits, entering suspected establishments, their offices, branches and warehouses, and inspecting the vehicles they use.
Does the inspector have to prove who he is?
Yes. The article requires anyone with judicial police capacity to present proof of it when exercising his powers.
Does the establishment's information stay confidential during detection?
Yes. Detection procedures are confidential, and information and records of establishments may not be disclosed except as the work requires under the relevant laws and rules.
More articles on Detecting and Investigating Concealment
- Article 5
The article divides jurisdiction over concealment cases among the Ministry of Commerce, the Public Prosecution and the criminal court, and creates a committee to review violations of Article 4.
1- تختص الوزارة بالرقابة وتلقي البلاغات وضبط الجرائم والمخالفات المنصوص عليها في النظام. 2- تختص النيابة العامة بالتحقيق والادعاء في الجرائم المنصوص عليها في ال
- Article 7
The article allows offenses and violations under the Anti-Concealment Law to be proved by all means of proof, including electronic evidence.
يكون الإثبات في الجرائم والمخالفات المنصوص عليها في النظام بجميع طرق الإثبات، بما فيها الأدلة الإلكترونية.
- Article 8
The article allows the Ministry to request a travel ban on a suspect and allows the Public Prosecution to order precautionary seizure of funds for up to 60 days.
1- للوزارة أن تطلب من النيابة العامة منع سفر من يشتبه في ارتكابه أيًّا من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام، وتحدد اللائحة ضوابط وحالات ذلك. 2- دون إخلال بحقوق ال
- Article 17
The article requires every body that issues licenses for an economic activity to follow up the establishments it has licensed and to report to the Ministry of Commerce any suspicion of concealment offenses or violations.
على كل جهة تصدر تراخيص لممارسة أي نشاط اقتصادي متابعة المنشآت التي رخصت لها، وإبلاغ الوزارة بما يظهر لها من اشتباه في وقوع جرائم أو مخالفات منصوص عليها في النظا
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.