Iraqi court sentences ex-MP, oil official to prison in corruption cases
Iraq’s anti-corruption body announced seven-year prison terms for a former MP and a senior oil ministry official over illicit gains and asset inflation.
Key Takeaways
AIIraq’s Integrity Commission has announced that a court has sentenced former parliament member Talal Al-Zobaie and the Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs to seven years in prison each, on charges of illicit enrichment and asset inflation.
In an official statement, the commission said, "Two separate seven-year prison sentences were issued against former MP Talal Al-Zobaie and the Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs, for illicit enrichment and asset inflation."
According to the statement, "The value of illicit gains and inflated assets for convicted former MP Talal Al-Zobaie amounted to $26.7 million, or nearly 35 billion dinars." The court ordered Al-Zobaie to repay approximately 70 billion dinars, covering the value of the illicit gains and an equivalent fine.
The statement added that "the illicit gains and asset inflation for the convicted Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs totaled about 26.5 billion dinars." The official was ordered to pay 53 billion dinars, representing the value of the illicit gains and an equivalent fine.
In recent weeks, Iraqi authorities have announced the seizure and recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as large quantities of gold, real estate, and other assets. Legal measures have also been introduced to reduce penalties for suspects who return stolen funds to the state treasury.
The Iraqi government has stated that recovered funds will be used to support the public treasury, reduce the budget deficit, and finance public service projects. The judiciary describes the campaign as part of broader efforts to recover public funds and restore confidence in state institutions.