Lt Col Khalifa Salman al-Mamari, head of Mesaimeer Police Section, was addressing an awareness webinar organised by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior in association with the Capital Security Department.
At the webinar, titled ‘Common Crimes and Offences in Expat Communities’, the official spoke about laws and penalties related to various crimes and violations. He highlighted the importance of adhering to the laws and regulations of Qatar and respecting the customs and traditions of the country.
“The Covid-19 protocols include adherence to wearing mask in public places, maintaining social distance among people and work place as well as installing the Ethraz app on mobile phones. It also includes adherence to allowed number of people in a vehicle, using electronic services provided by the public and private sectors and encouraging the workers to adhere to all the instructions of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Maangement,” said Lt Col al-Mamari.
The official reiterated that strikes and gatherings are not legal in the country. “Failure of some companies to pay salaries to the workers has led them to strike which is forbidden by our true religion and by legislative laws. Workers must choose legal methods to file their complaints regarding non-payment of salaries instead of gatherings and strikes. They should not depend on rumours on social media but get information from official sources,” he explained.
According to the official, whoever found drunk on roads or behaving indecently can be sentenced with imprisonment for six months and a fine of up to QR3,000. A person who finds lost items must hand over the same to the owner or to a police station failing which he or she must face an imprisonment up to six months and a fine of not more than QR3,000.
Any physical assault is a crime. "This can result in an imprisonment of up to15 years in case of death or permanent disability. In case of serious injuries, the penalty is up to three years of imprisonment or a fine not exceeding QR15,000. In case of theft, the penalty starts from two years of jail up to life imprisonment," he described.
Issuing a cheque without sufficient balance in the account is another serious offence which is punishable by law in the country, said Lt Col al-Mamari. The penalty for this can be imprisonment of not less than three months and up to three years and a fine of not less than QR3,000 and up to QR10,000. This can also result in travel ban for the accused.
Similarly, trying to commit suicide is a crime that is punishable with up to three months of imprisonment and a fine of not more than QR3,000.
"Moreover, people are not allowed to sell goods without a licence and this applies to street vendors too. If anyone violates the law, the goods will be confiscated. Nobody is allowed to bring any prohibited items into the country and if anyone does so, the items will be confiscated and they will be imposed penalties," he added.