Iraqi court hands down prison terms to 2 politicians and an oil official in graft case

BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi court sentenced two prominent politicians and the head of a state-run enterprise responsible for distributing oil products to prison sentences in a corruption case, officials announced Thursday.

Muthanna al-Samarrai, head of the Azm Alliance, an influential Sunni party that holds 15 seats in Iraq’s 329-seat parliament, was sentenced to six years in prison. Lawmaker Ziad al-Janabi, from the smaller Sunni party Tashree, was sentenced to five years, the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported.

It said the sentences were based on the politicians benefiting from contracts involving the North Refineries Company and South Refineries Company, state-owned enterprises responsible for processing crude oil and producing petroleum derivatives.

The lawmakers allegedly received commissions in exchange for facilitating the awarding of contracts to companies linked to them.

INA reported that al-Samarrai was ordered to repay 30 billion Iraqi dinars ($19.8 million) and al-Janabi to repay 4 billion Iraqi dinars ($2.6 million). Their respective political parties did not immediately comment on the sentences.

Hussein Talib, former Director General of the Oil Products Distribution Company, was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison in a related case for intervening in awarding contracts for personal gain. The sentence was announced Thursday. He was ordered to repay 55 billion dinars ($36.3 million).

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