Ministry of Social Affairs investigates money laundering allegations at a cooperative society

According to sources cited by Al-Shaoun, and in a commitment to achieving the highest standards of integrity and transparency, the Ministry has taken the necessary legal measures regarding the incident to ascertain its details, particularly since the amount paid exceeded 5,000 dinars in cash—an unusual occurrence that may be unprecedented among cooperatives.

The sources clarified that, following this incident, the Ministry issued a circular to the boards of directors of all associations, stressing the necessity of adhering to the decisions of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the relevant authorities regarding the imposition of a maximum limit on cash transactions and sales within central markets and cooperative branches, set at 200 dinars only.

It was noted that, in the wake of this incident, the Ministry emphasized to the boards of directors of associations the need for caution regarding non-compliant cash transactions to avoid legal accountability. It reaffirmed that it would not tolerate any violations that affect public funds or compromise the integrity of cooperative operations, stating that “any detected violation will be immediately referred to the competent authorities to take the necessary legal measures, along with holding those responsible accountable in accordance with the laws and regulations governing cooperative work.”

The ministry added that the new circular comes within the framework of strengthening the financial oversight system within associations and curbing any practices that could be exploited to carry out suspicious financial operations. It pointed out that the Ministry has stressed the necessity of using electronic or non-cash payment methods for all transactions exceeding the permitted maximum limit, in line with the directives of the state’s regulatory and financial authorities.