Interpol hands Palestinian employee accused of corruption to the PA

Palestinian sources have unveiled that the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has arrested a former employee of the General Directorate of Petroleum, which is affiliated to the Palestinian Ministry of Finance, on charges of financial and administrative corruption. Interpol has handed the employee in question to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

On Monday 22 December, Interpol handed over Shady Hamza, who worked as an accountant for the General Directorate of Petroleum during the period from 2009 until 2012 to the PA. This was in response to a Palestinian request asking Interpol to arrest Hamza, who had left the occupied West Bank and settled in Jordan.

The investigations conducted by both the Palestinian public prosecution and the public body set up to fight corruption (the Anti-Corruption Commission) have shown that Hamza embezzled 45 million shekels ($12 million) during his tenure at the Petroleum Directorate. It revealed that he had transferred those funds to bank accounts abroad under his name before fleeing to Jordan, where he settled and launched large commercial projects in the capital, Amman.

Interpol arrested Hamza in early November.

The Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission is set to reveal the circumstances of this case in a press conference that will be held by its head, Rafiq al-Natsheh, on Tuesday.