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IRAQ'S CORRUPTION
العربية
Cases

Former Electricity Minister Ayham al-Samarrai: conviction, Green Zone escape and Interpol case (from 2005 to 2008)

Ayham al-Samarrai (Minister of Electricity from September 2003 to May 2005, a US citizen) faced 13 corruption charges. On 12 October 2006 the Central Criminal Court sentenced him to two years for corruption, negligence and waste of public money in one case. In December 2006, while detained in the Green Zone pending other cases, he escaped and left Iraq for the US; supporters say an appeal court had acquitted him. CBS News reported that after a request from the Iraqi government Interpol stopped treating him as a fugitive (removed 29 April 2008).

Period
From September 2003 to April 2008
Sector
Electricity and energy infrastructureMinistry of Electricity contracts
Kind of case
Criminal prosecution
Jurisdiction
Federal Iraq

How the money moved

Alleged misappropriation and waste in power-plant and equipment contracts during the CPA or interim period; proof reached court in only one small case.

What happened

One conviction (2006), escape, and later removal from Interpol list; no recovery of funds reported.

Open questions

  • Court records of the 13 charges and of any appeal acquittal.
  • Who facilitated the December 2006 escape?

People and companies

The table lists everyone this case names, with their legal status on the date shown. A status in this case does not carry over to any other case, and an accusation is not a conviction. How to read the status.
People and companies
NameRole in the caseLegal statusDetailAs of
Ayham (Aiham) al-Samarrai
أيهم السامرائي
Minister of Electricity (from 2003 to 2005)Charges dropped or case closedSentenced 12 October 2006 to 2 years (one of 13 charges); escaped custody December 2006; Interpol notice removed 29 April 2008 at Iraq's request (CBS). His supporters say that an appeal court acquitted him.25 September 2026

Sources

These are the documents on which this case rests. Each quote is given in the language of the document.
  1. CBS News (60 Minutes, editor's note)11 April 2008Press reportTier D

    Iraq: State Of Corruption

    Interpol no longer considers former electricity minister Aiham Alsammarae a fugitive
    Original
  2. Arabic Wikipedia25 September 2026Press reportTier D

    أيهم السامرائي

    حكما بالسجن عامين على السامرائي بعد ان ادانته «بالفساد والإهمال وهدر المال العام»
    Original
  3. English Wikipedia25 September 2026Press reportTier D

    Ayham al-Samarrai

    on 11 October 2006 Alsammarae was convicted of misappropriation of funds regarding a $200,000 generator purchased for the southern province of Maysan
    Original

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