Dhi Qar Oil Company: senior official caught with USD 100,000 and USD 33 million of overpricing in two Gharraf field contracts (from 2021 to 2024)
On 30 March 2021 Iraq's National Security Service said that, under the direction of Dhi Qar governor Abdul Ghani al-Asadi and with judicial approval, it had arrested a senior official of the state-owned Dhi Qar Oil Company and his driver in an ambush in the provincial centre, with USD 100,000 in cash, official papers and administrative stamps, and had referred them to the judiciary. On 15 January 2024 the Federal Integrity Commission said its Dhi Qar investigation office had found overpricing in two Gharraf field contracts: a USD 27 million contract with an Emirati company to build and maintain storage depots, against an estimated cost of no more than USD 12 million, and up to USD 18 million of overpricing in a contract with a Malaysian company for oil pipes and casing. It also reported that the company's purchasing committee had paid double prices for copiers and printers and had overpaid for a medical waste incinerator and three tankers.
- Period
- From March 2021 to January 2024
- Sector
- Oil and gasUpstream company contracts (Dhi Qar Oil Company, Gharraf field)
- Kind of case
- Criminal prosecution
- Jurisdiction
- Federal Iraq
How the money moved
Bribe-taking by a senior company official (National Security Service), and contract prices well above the company's own cost estimates (Integrity Commission).
What happened
Arrest and referral to the judiciary (2021); overpricing findings announced (2024). No verdict is on record.
Open questions
- Identity and court outcome of the official arrested in March 2021.
- Names of the Emirati and Malaysian contractors and whether the contracts were revised.
People and companies
| Name | Role in the case | Legal status | Detail | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior official of the Dhi Qar Oil Company and his driver (names not given) مسؤول كبير في شركة نفط ذي قار وسائقه (لم يُذكر اسماهما) | Senior official, Dhi Qar Oil Company | Arrested | Arrested in the act of taking a bribe, with USD 100,000, official papers and administrative stamps, and referred to the judiciary, according to the National Security Service (30 March 2021). Names and outcome are not on record. | 19 October 2026 |
Sources
- Alsumaria News30 March 2021Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
الأمن الوطني يُطيح بمسؤول كبير متلبساً بالرشوة
Original addressالقاء القبض على مسؤول كبير في شركة نفط ذي قار وسائقه متلسبان بالرشوة بعد نصب كمين محكم لهما وسط المحافظة
- 964 Media15 January 2024Integrity Commission statementTier B
النزاهة ترصد مغالاة بـ33 مليون دولار في عقدين لشركة نفط ذي قار
Original addressمُغالاة في الكلفة التخمينيَّة لعقد مشروع إنشاء وصيانة مستودعات حقل الغراف النفطيّ، مُبيّنةً أنَّ العقد أبرمته الشركة مع شركةٍ إماراتيَّةٍ بمبلغ (27,000,000) مليون دولارٍ، على الرغم من أنَّ الكلفة التخمينيَّة للمشروع لا تتجاوز (12,000,000) مليون دولارٍ