Six years in prison for former Iraq official over graft charges

An Iraqi criminal court in Baghdad sentenced Ziyad Al-Qaattan, the former deputy of General Director of Iraqi Ministry of Defence, over graft charges, the Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

Spokesman of the Iraqi Judicial Council Abdel-Sattar Birqdar said that the court looked into three cases filed against Al-Qattan, who was in office in 2004.

Two of the cases related to stealing money using two contracts through which he requested light military equipment for the defence ministry.

The third is related to stealing $8 million through orders made to build a temporary military camp for the security forces in Fallujah.

Birqdar said that the sentences were initial and they are open for appeal within 30 days.

Read: New Iraq committee to investigate government corruption

Al-Qattan fled the country when he was accused of stealing up to $1 million from the defence ministry.

Jordan extradited him after an INTERPOL detention warrant was issued against him in 2017.

Iraq has one of the highest cases of corruption according to Transparency International, with widespread fraud and mismanagement in state institutions.