Be careful when dealing with the Omani currency

Muscat: Be careful when dealing with Omani currency, as you may be imprisoned for a month and a fine if you misuse it.

Lawyer Saud Al-Maawali said that the Omani Penal Code criminalized all acts related to contempt for currency and imposed a prison sentence of 10 days to a month at most, in addition to a fine.

Al-Maawali indicated that Article 296/b of the Omani Penal Code criminalizes dealing with currency with contempt, and that what is meant by contempt is contempt, belittling, and dealing with something with the intent of insult.

He added that the legislator, in this part of the law, made these legal articles to protect the moral value of the national currency, given that it bears the name of the state, its emblem, a picture of its leader, symbols, indications, and landmarks related to Omani civilization and national occasions.

He explained:”Thus, the national currency has become part of the state’s identity, and abuse of this currency carries the meanings of insulting the state’s identity. Hence, the legislative protection of this currency came from.”

He indicated that, compared to some laws of nearby countries, it was found that the Omani legislator is more strict in the matter of contempt for the national currency through what he approved of the punishment for those who practice such actions against the national currency, which amounts to imprisonment for a month, while many of the legislations that exist in some countries’ laws did not It criminalizes such acts and suffices with financial fines.

Regarding the precautions that should be avoided when using money in some social manifestations, Lawyer Saud Al-Maawali said that every act that constitutes or carries meanings of contempt for the currency is legally criminalized, and some social practices in celebrations and some social customs are basically a violation of the teachings of Islamic law, and from a legal point of view they are a violation as stipulated in the articles of the Omani Penal Code; Because some practices in some social manifestations amounted to throwing the currency with a kind of luxury and trampling it underfoot in some cases.

It is noteworthy that recently there have been videos of non-Omanis displaying the Omani currency in a humiliating way to show off and brag or to collect more views in social media.