Iraqi court sentences two politicians and an oil official for corruption

An Iraqi court sentenced two politicians and a former oil official in corruption cases tied to state oil businesses.

Muthanna al-Samarrai, head of the Azm Alliance, received six years in prison, while lawmaker Ziad al-Janabi received five.

The cases involved contracts for state-owned oil companies, which process crude oil and produce petroleum products.

The politicians were accused of taking commissions to help award contracts to companies linked to them.

They were ordered to repay 30 billion and 4 billion dinars, respectively; former Oil Products Distribution Company chief Hussein Talib was sentenced to eight years and ordered to repay 55 billion dinars in a related case.

The verdicts are part of a government anti-corruption drive that has included arrests of political officials, though critics say it has targeted Sunni politicians disproportionately, an accusation the government denies.

The politicians can appeal within 30 days to Iraq’s Court of Cassation.