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IRAQ'S CORRUPTION
العربية
Cases

Selected convictions of ministers, governors and senior officials (from 2015 to 2022)

A sample of court outcomes against senior officials: former Environment Minister Sargon Lazar Slewa sentenced to two years and fined about $300,000 (November 2015, Reuters via IBN); former Minister of Construction, Housing and Municipalities Riad al-Gharib (from 2006 to 2010, State of Law) and a director-general each sentenced to two years by the Karkh integrity criminal court (February 2021) over breached contracts for 17 asphalt plants worth $25m (2007); a former Salah al-Din governor, not named in the statement, convicted in absentia (November 2022) to 10 years for taking about IQD 7bn in bribes (IQD 4.6bn and $1.5m) for contracts (Integrity Commission); the legal director of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority sentenced to 7 years for bribery (March 2022, Supreme Judicial Council); former MoD deputy secretary-general Ziad al-Qattan sentenced to six years (September 2018). The 2020 Integrity report counted 63 ministers or equivalents accused and only four convicted. Sentences for ministers are typically short and often in absentia.

Period
From 2006 to November 2022
Sector
Anti-corruption system and asset recoverySenior-official prosecutions
Kind of case
Criminal prosecution
Jurisdiction
Federal Iraq

How the money moved

Contract breaches, bribery for contract awards, and damage to public funds by senior officials.

What happened

Convictions of limited severity; many in absentia.

Open questions

  • Identity of the ex-Salah al-Din governor convicted in November 2022.
  • Systematic list of all minister-level convictions from 2004 to 2026 from Integrity annual reports.

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
Sargon Lazar Slewa
سركون لازار صليوا
Former Minister of EnvironmentConvicted (reported)2 years and fine (about $300,000), Baghdad court, November 2015; appeal expected (party called it unjust).25 September 2026
Riad al-Gharib
رياض غريب
Former Minister of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works (from 2006 to 2010)Convicted (reported)2 years, Karkh integrity criminal court, 14 February 2021 (Supreme Judicial Council via Rudaw).25 September 2026
Hashem Abdel-Zahra
هاشم عبد الزهرة
Director-general, same ministryConvicted (reported)2 years, 14 February 2021.25 September 2026
Former governor of Salah al-Din (unnamed in statement)
محافظ صلاح الدين السابق (لم يُذكر اسمه في البيان)
GovernorConvicted (reported)Sentenced in absentia by the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court to 10 years and an IQD 10m fine (Integrity Commission statement, 13 November 2022) for taking about IQD 7bn (IQD 4.6bn and $1.5m, and two cars requested) in return for awarding projects without tender and releasing payments owed to companies. The statement does not name him.30 September 2026
Legal department director, Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (unnamed)
مدير الدائرة القانونية في سلطة الطيران المدني
OfficialConvicted (reported)7 years for bribery (Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court, March 2022; Supreme Judicial Council).25 September 2026

Sources

These are the documents on which this case rests. Each quote is given in the language of the document.
  1. Alsumaria News (Federal Integrity Commission statement)13 November 2022Official statement reported by the mediaTier B

    النزاهة توضح تفاصيل الحكم على محافظ صلاح الدين السابق

    تسلَّمـه قرابة (7) مليارات دينار؛ لقاء إحالة مشاريع على شركاتٍ مُعيَّنةٍ ... مبلغ (4,600,000,000) مليارات دينارٍ عراقيٍّ، و(1,500,000) مليون دولارٍ أمريكيٍّ ... الحكم عليه غيابياً بالسجن لمُدَّة عشر سنواتٍ، وفرض غرامةٍ ماليَّةٍ قدرُها (10,00,000) ملايين دينار
    Original
  2. Al-Mada (Integrity Commission source)8 August 2026Press report (official source)Tier C

    النزاهة تنفذ أمر قبض بحق «أبو مازن» على خلفية قضايا فساد

    أفاد مصدر في هيئة النزاهة، اليوم السبت، بتنفيذ أمر قبض بحق محافظ صلاح الدين الأسبق أحمد الجبوري، المعروف بـ«أبو مازن»، على خلفية قضايا فساد
    Original
  3. Iraq Business News (Reuters, AINA)5 November 2015Press reportTier D

    Former Minister Jailed for Corruption

    sentenced former environment minister Sargon Lazar Slewa
    Original
  4. Iraq Business News (Rudaw)11 September 2018Press reportTier D

    Former Defense Ministry Official Jailed for Corruption

    Ziad al-Qattan was conviced in relation to three contracts
    Original
  5. Rudaw (Sura Ali), citing SJC statement14 February 2021Press reportTier D

    Former Iraqi minister sentenced to two years in prison for corruption

    sentenced Riad al-Gharib, a former minister of Construction, Housing, Municipalities, and Public Works
    Original
  6. Iraq Business News (SJC)22 March 2022Press reportTier D

    ICAA Director Jailed for Corruption

    received a bribe from the complainant to carry on a job that is a part of his duty
    Original
  7. Iraq Business News (Commission of Integrity)16 November 2022Press reportTier D

    Iraqi Governor Jailed for Corruption

    He was sentenced to ten years in jail
    Original

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