Article 19 of the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law
المادة 19 من نظام مكافحة غسل الأموال · الفصل الرابع: الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية
The article lets the General Department of Financial Intelligence refer information and its analysis results to the competent authorities where there are grounds for suspicion, and gives it full authority to exercise its competences independently.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية من تلقاء نفسها أو عند الطلب إحالة المعلومات ونتائج تحليلها إلى السلطات المختصة ذات الصلة عندما تكون هناك أسباب للاشتباه بأنّ معاملة ما مرتبطة بجريمة غسل أموال أو جريمة أصلية ولها الصلاحية التامة لتنفيذ اختصاصاتها بحرية بما في ذلك اتخاذ قرار مستقل بتحليل معلومات معينة وطلبها أو إعادة توجيهها أو إحالتها.
المادة العشرون:
على كل موظف يعمل في الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية، أو أي شخص مسؤول أمامها، الالتزام بسرية المعلومات التي يطلع عليها ضمن نطاق أداء واجباته حتى بعد انتهاء مسؤولياته.
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 19 explained in plain English
This article deals with the step that follows analyzing reports in the General Department of Financial Intelligence, which is referral, and it also confirms the Department's independence in its work.
First: referral. The Department may refer the information and the results of its analysis to the relevant competent authorities:
- On its own initiative or on request.
- Provided there are grounds for suspicion that a transaction is connected to a money laundering offense or to a predicate offense.
Under the definition in Article 1, the competent authorities are the administrative authorities, the authorities competent to apply the laws, or the supervisory authorities.
Second: independence. The article gives the Department full authority to carry out its competences freely, including making an independent decision to analyze, request, forward or refer specific information.
This provision complements Article 18, which enables the Department to obtain additional information from the reporting party and from the competent authorities, and Article 20, which binds every employee of the Department, or official who deals with it, to confidentiality of the information they see, even after their responsibilities end.
In practice, this means that referral depends on the existence of grounds for suspicion as the article states, and that referral does not in itself mean the offense has been established. Anyone affected by a measure that follows a referral of this kind would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
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 19 of the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law
When does the General Department of Financial Intelligence refer information to the authorities?
When there are grounds for suspicion that a transaction is connected to a money laundering offense or a predicate offense, and it refers it on its own initiative or on request.
Does the Department need another body's permission to analyze or refer information?
The article provides that it has full authority to carry out its competences freely, including making an independent decision to analyze, request, forward or refer information.
More articles on General Directorate of Financial Intelligence
- Article 15Amended by M/223
The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions, including legal and accounting service providers, to report to the General Department of Financial Intelligence immediately when money laundering is suspected.
على المؤسسات المالية، والأعمال والمهن غير المالية المحددة - بما في ذلك الأشخاص الذي يقدمون خدمات قانونية أو محاسبية - عند اشتباههم أو إذا توافرت لديهم أسباب معق
- Article 17
The article sets the General Department of Financial Intelligence as reporting to the Head of State Security, with independence, and as a central body that receives reports, analyzes them and refers results to the competent authorities.
ترتبط الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية برئيس أمن الدولة، وتتمتع باستقلالية عملية كافية, وتعمل -بوصفها جهازاً مركزياً وطنياً- على تلقي البلاغات والمعلومات والتقار
- Article 20
The article binds every employee of the General Department of Financial Intelligence and every person answerable to it to keep confidential the information they see in their work, even after their responsibilities end.
على كل موظف يعمل في الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية، أو أي شخص مسؤول أمامها، الالتزام بسرية المعلومات التي يطلع عليها ضمن نطاق أداء واجباته حتى بعد انتهاء مسؤول
- Article 21
The article allows the General Department of Financial Intelligence to exchange the information it holds with the competent authorities, and to enter into agreements or memoranda of understanding with them to facilitate exchange and cooperation.
للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية أن تتبادل مع السلطات المختصّة المعلومات التي تحتفظ بها، ولها كذلك الدخول في اتفاقيات أو مذكرات تفاهم مع السلطات المختصة لتسهيل ع
- Article 22
The article allows the General Department of Financial Intelligence to exchange information with counterpart foreign bodies and enter into arrangements with them, after obtaining an undertaking to use the information only for the purpose it was requested.
1- للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية أن تتبادل مع أي جهة أجنبية نظيرة أو تطلب منها أي معلومة متصلة بعملها، ولها أن تُبرم -وفقاً للإجراءات النظامية- مع أي جهة أجنب
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.