Crime of Bribery
In Light of Law No. 11 of 2004

The Qatari legislator defines a bribe-taker in the crime of bribery as any public employee who solicits or accepts for himself or another, money, benefit, or even the mere promise of such, in exchange for performing or refraining from an act related to his duties or that does not fall within his official duties but he erroneously believes or claims it to be.

As such, the legislator has imposed a penalty of imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, and a fine not exceeding the value of what was given or promised, with a minimum of five thousand riyals.

The fundamental aspect of the crime of bribery is that it requires the presence of the briber or the intermediary for the crime to be complete. The legislator imposed the same penalty for anyone who offers the public employee money, benefits, or promises on the condition that the employee accepts what is offered or promised.

However, the Qatari legislator provided an exception to this principle by exempting the briber or intermediary in two cases:

First Case: Reporting the Crime
This occurs when the briber or intermediary reports the crime to the public authorities. The intention here is that the crime has occurred but remains undisclosed.

Second Case: Confession of the Crime
In this situation, the crime has occurred and the public authorities are aware of it, but they need full details and circumstances. If the briber or intermediary provides a detailed confession that enables the authorities to apprehend the perpetrators and initiate public prosecution against them.