Iraq
Baghdad's al-Karkh main appeal court building in the western sector of the Iraqi capital. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iraqi court sentenced, in absentia, an advisor to a former prime minister to one year in prison for refusing to disclose his wealth, the anti-corruption body announced on Saturday.
The al-Karkh court “issued an absentia verdict sentencing Mushriq Abbas Naji, political advisor to the former prime minister, to one year in prison for his refusal to disclose his financial assets," state media INA reported, citing the federal integrity commission.
Naji was a political advisor for Mustafa al-Kadhimi who served as prime minister from 2020 to 2022.
Last April, the same court issued an arrest warrant for Naji on the charge of “refusing to submit financial disclosure without a legitimate excuse,” according to a statement from the integrity commission.
There are also warrants for three other officials from Kadhimi’s team on corruption charges in connection with an investigation into the looting of public funds.
In October 2022, a finance ministry investigation concluded that $2.5 billion in tax revenue was stolen from the Rafidain Bank account of the General Commission of Taxes between September 2021 and August 2022.
Hundreds of millions of the embezzled money were recovered, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced in October 2022 when he pledged that, “We will not leave out anyone or any name or any party involved, regardless of who they are, and the parties involved will be announced after completing the investigation.”
Iraq is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International, which ranked it 154 out of 180 nations in 2023.
The al-Karkh court “issued an absentia verdict sentencing Mushriq Abbas Naji, political advisor to the former prime minister, to one year in prison for his refusal to disclose his financial assets," state media INA reported, citing the federal integrity commission.
Naji was a political advisor for Mustafa al-Kadhimi who served as prime minister from 2020 to 2022.
Last April, the same court issued an arrest warrant for Naji on the charge of “refusing to submit financial disclosure without a legitimate excuse,” according to a statement from the integrity commission.
There are also warrants for three other officials from Kadhimi’s team on corruption charges in connection with an investigation into the looting of public funds.
In October 2022, a finance ministry investigation concluded that $2.5 billion in tax revenue was stolen from the Rafidain Bank account of the General Commission of Taxes between September 2021 and August 2022.
Hundreds of millions of the embezzled money were recovered, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced in October 2022 when he pledged that, “We will not leave out anyone or any name or any party involved, regardless of who they are, and the parties involved will be announced after completing the investigation.”
Iraq is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International, which ranked it 154 out of 180 nations in 2023.
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