Article 9 of the Saudi Anti-Financial Fraud and Breach of Trust Law
المادة 9 من نظام مكافحة الاحتيال المالي وخيانة الأمانة
The article provides that the heavier penalty applies if the acts covered by Articles 1 and 2 also constitute a crime under other laws.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا شكل أي من الأفعال المشار إليها في المادتين (الأولى) و(الثانية) من هذا النظام؛ جريمة بموجب أنظمة أخرى؛ فتطبق العقوبة الأشد.
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 9 explained in plain English
A single act may be criminalized in more than one law. This article deals with that situation with a clear rule: the heavier penalty applies.
The scope of the article:
- It covers the acts referred to in Articles 1 and 2 of this Law, that is, the acts of financial fraud and breach of trust punished by the Law.
- It applies if the act itself constitutes a crime under other laws.
The ruling: the offender is not punished with the penalty set in this Law if the other law's penalty is heavier; rather the heavier penalty applies among the penalties prescribed for the act.
The article does not specify which other laws are meant, or the way of comparing penalties to determine the heavier, so its application depends on each incident and the other law that applies to it.
Relationship to neighboring articles: Article 8 allows the competent court to exempt an offender who takes the initiative to report to the competent authority on its conditions, and Article 10 assigns to the Public Prosecution the investigation and prosecution before the competent court in the crimes of this Law.
Determining which laws may apply to the same incident is a technical matter for which it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal matters.
Practical example
A person committed an act of financial fraud against someone in Jeddah, and the same act constituted a crime under another law that sets a heavier penalty for it. In this case the penalty of the Anti-Financial Fraud and Breach of Trust Law is not enough on its own; the heavier penalty applies.
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 9 of the Saudi Anti-Financial Fraud and Breach of Trust Law
What if the fraud is also criminalized in another law?
If any of the acts referred to in Articles 1 and 2 constitutes a crime under other laws, the heavier penalty applies.
Does the article specify the other laws meant?
No. The text mentions "other laws" without naming them, and this depends on the act and the law that applies to it.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 1
The article punishes anyone who unlawfully takes another's money by any method of fraud, including lying, deception or misleading, with imprisonment and a fine or either of them.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز (سبع) سنوات، وبغرامة مالية لا تزيد على (خمسة) ملايين ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من استولى على مال للغير دون وجه حق بارتكابه ف
- Article 2
The article punishes taking, without right, money handed to a person by virtue of his work or on trust, partnership, deposit or the like, or disposing of it in bad faith or deliberately damaging it, other than public funds.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز (خمس) سنوات، وبغرامة مالية لا تزيد على (ثلاثة) ملايين ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من استولى دون وجه حق على مال سُلّم إليه بحكم
More articles on Confiscation, Publication, Investigation and Prosecution
- Article 6
The article requires confiscation by judicial judgment of the tools and machines used in committing the Law's crimes and of their proceeds, without prejudice to the right of a bona fide third party.
دون إخلال بحق الغير حسن النية، تُصادر بحكم قضائي الأدوات والآلات المستخدمة في ارتكاب أي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، وكذلك المتحصلات المتحققة من ارتك
- Article 7
The article allows a conviction judgment to include publication of its summary at the convicted person's expense in newspapers or another suitable means, after the judgment becomes final.
يجوز تضمين الحكم الصادر بالعقوبة النص على نشر ملخصه على نفقة المحكوم عليه في صحيفة -أو أكثر- من الصحف التي تصدر في مقر إقامته، فإن لم تكن في مقر إقامته صحيفة فف
- Article 10
The article assigns to the Public Prosecution the investigation of the Law's crimes and prosecution of them before the court competent to decide them.
تتولى النيابة العامة التحقيق، والادعاء أمام المحكمة المختصة بالفصل في الجرائم الواردة في هذا النظام.
- Article 11
The article provides that the Law takes effect 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
يعمل بهذا النظام بعد مضي (تسعين) يوماً من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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.