Saudi Arabia Sentences 4 People to 28 Years in Jail for Money Laundering

A Saudi money changer displays Saudi riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. (Reuters)
A Saudi money changer displays Saudi riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. (Reuters)
TT

Saudi Arabia Sentences 4 People to 28 Years in Jail for Money Laundering

A Saudi money changer displays Saudi riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. (Reuters)
A Saudi money changer displays Saudi riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. (Reuters)

The Riyadh Criminal Court sentenced four people to a total of 28 years in prison and fines of up to 20 million riyals for their involvement in money laundering and business licensing fraud.

According to a senior official in the Saudi Public Prosecution, the Criminal Court also ordered the confiscation of 2 million riyals and two computers, a laptop and money-counting machine, which were found with the accused.

More than 375 million riyals deposited outside the Kingdom for the purpose of money laundering were also seized by the Court.

The investigations found that the group - formed of one Saudi and three expatriates - was guilty of money laundering and business licensing fraud in Riyadh.

The senior official also said that the court ruled to revoke the perpetrators’ commercial registration and license and force them to pay Zakat, taxes, fees and other financial obligations.

The three convicted expats will be deported from the Kingdom after serving their jail terms, according to the Public Prosecution official. They will be barred from returning to the Kingdom.



Syria’s Leader Meets with Bahraini Diplomatic Delegation

The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
TT

Syria’s Leader Meets with Bahraini Diplomatic Delegation

The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa received a delegation from Bahrain on Wednesday and met with the Bahraini foreign minister, state media reported.

The visit was the latest in a flurry of diplomatic overtures by Arab countries to Syria’s new leaders after they overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.

Like other Gulf countries, Bahrain had cut off diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad’s rule during the Syrian civil war, but it reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018 and gradually restored ties with the Assad government.

Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit, and days after Assad’s ouster it had sent a message to al-Sharaa offering its cooperation with the new authorities and saying, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.”