Muscat based business owner sentenced to jail over service violations

Muscat : Imprisonment for two months  and a fine of OMR 1,000 , in addition to the suspension of the business's activities and the permanent closure of its headquarters in Muscat Governorate for failing to provide the service in a proper manner.

The competent court has issued a judicial ruling in a case involving an establishment operating in the services and business sector, after it was proven that the supplier had breached its obligations towards the consumer and failed to complete the agreed procedures within the specified period.

 This ruling comes to reinforce the role of the judiciary in protecting consumers and ensuring that services are provided in accordance with their nature, thereby strengthening confidence in the market.

 The details of the case relate to a complaint submitted by a consumer to the Consumer Protection Authority, stating that he had contracted with the establishment to process transactions related to an investor card and residency permits for a number of workers in return for a financial amount that was paid in full, provided that the procedures would be completed within a specified period.

However, the establishment failed to perform the service properly, as its work was limited to obtaining the commercial registration and carrying out certain preliminary procedures without completing the remaining transactions, which was deemed a breach of its contractual obligations and a clear violation of Article (23) of the Consumer Protection Law. This prompted the consumer to submit his complaint to the Authority, which in turn undertook the legal procedures by examining the complaint and referring it to the competent judicial authorities.

Following consideration of the complaint and its referral to the competent court, the court issued a judgment convicting the defendants of the misdemeanour of “failure to provide the service in a proper manner and in accordance with its nature,” punishable under Article (39) of the Law. The first defendant was sentenced to imprisonment for two months, while the violating establishment was fined an amount of OMR 1,000, in addition to the suspension of its activities and the permanent closure of its premises.

These judgments come within the efforts of the Consumer Protection Authority to consolidate the principles of justice and strengthen oversight over the services and business sector, in a manner that ensures the commitment of establishments to providing their services in accordance with the laws and regulations, and enhances community confidence in a fair and secure market environment that protects consumer rights and supports the objectives of national development.