Article 2 of the Saudi Anti-Corruption Authority Law
المادة 2 من نظام هيئة الرقابة ومكافحة الفساد · الباب الأول: تعريفات
The article sets the crimes that count as corruption crimes for the purposes of the Law: bribery, assault on public funds, abuse of authority, and any crime a law states to be a corruption crime.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تُعد -لأغراض تطبيق النظام- الجرائم الآتية جرائم فساد:
1- جرائم الرشوة.
2- جرائم الاعتداء على المال العام.
3- جرائم إساءة استعمال السلطة.
4- أي جريمة أخرى يُنص على أنها جريمة فساد بناءً على نظام.
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 2 explained in plain English
This article sets out what counts as a corruption crime for the purposes of applying the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority Law. There are four categories:
- Bribery crimes.
- Crimes of assault on public funds.
- Crimes of abuse of authority.
- Any other crime that is stated to be a corruption crime under a law.
The importance of this specification is that the Law's provisions on corruption crimes, such as the Authority's powers of investigation and criminal seizure, apply to these crimes. The phrase "for the purposes of applying the Law" means the article fixes the scope of this Law and does not define the elements of each crime; the details of bribery, for example, its elements and its penalty, are found in the laws specific to it, not in this article.
The fourth paragraph makes the list open: if a law states that a particular crime is a corruption crime, it falls within the scope of this Law.
This article connects to Article 1, which defines the Authority, the Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Unit and public bodies, and to Article 3, which provides that the Authority is linked to the King and has financial and administrative independence, and carries out its work with complete impartiality and without influence from any party.
Anyone facing a charge of one of these crimes would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
An employee of a government body in Riyadh asked a person who came to the office for a sum of money in return for finishing his transaction. This act falls under bribery crimes, which are corruption crimes to which the Law's provisions apply.
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 2 of the Saudi Anti-Corruption Authority Law
What are corruption crimes under the Nazaha law?
Bribery crimes, crimes of assault on public funds, crimes of abuse of authority, and any other crime that is stated to be a corruption crime under a law.
Is bribery a corruption crime?
Yes. Bribery crimes are the first the article counts as corruption crimes.
Does the article set the penalty for corruption crimes?
No. The article only sets which crimes count as corruption crimes for the purposes of applying the Law.
More articles on Corruption Crimes
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.