Iraqi politicians ordered to repay $22.4 million in graft case

An Iraqi court sentenced Muthanna al-Samarrai to six years in prison on Thursday. Al-Samarrai leads the Azm Alliance, a Sunni political party holding 15 of the 329 seats in the Iraqi parliament. The court also sentenced Ziad al-Janabi, a lawmaker from the Tashree party, to five years.

Officials said the sentences stem from a corruption case involving the North Refineries Company and the South Refineries Company. These state-owned enterprises process crude oil and produce petroleum derivatives. The two politicians allegedly received commissions to facilitate contract awards to companies linked to them.

The state-run Iraqi News Agency reported that al-Samarrai must repay 30 billion Iraqi dinars. That amount equals $19.8 million. Al-Janabi was ordered to repay 4 billion dinars, or $2.6 million. Neither political party issued an immediate comment on the rulings.

Hussein Talib, former Director General of the Oil Products Distribution Company, also received a sentence in a related case. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on Wednesday, with the announcement made public on Thursday. The court found he intervened in contract awards for personal gain. Talib must repay 55 billion dinars, which is $36.3 million.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi promised to combat corruption after taking office earlier this year. In June, authorities arrested dozens of political officials on corruption charges. Those arrests included members of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Shiite bloc and others from the Azm Alliance.

On the same day, an Iraqi criminal court sentenced three French nationals to life in prison. The court cited terrorism charges connected to their membership in the Islamic State militant group. Seven other French citizens received similar sentences on Tuesday. These defendants were part of a group of 47 French citizens accused of IS ties who were held in Syria before being handed to Iraq for prosecution last year.