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Nineveh governor Nawfal al-Akoub: reconstruction and displaced-persons funds (from 2017 to 2019)

After the Mosul ferry disaster of 21 March 2019 (about 100 dead), PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi asked parliament to dismiss Governor Nawfal al-Akoub, citing negligence and evidence of waste of public money; parliament removed him on 24 March and a Nineveh investigation court issued an arrest warrant (27 March). The Integrity Commission said in April 2019 that about $64m had disappeared from the provincial budget, embezzled by employees close to the governor, and in July 2019 that he had withdrawn IQD 11.3bn (about $9.4m) of Ministry of Migration funds meant for displaced people and hospital rehabilitation into his own account in the Kurdistan Region. The US designated him in July 2019; the UK sanctioned him in 2021, stating he was serving a five-year sentence in Iraq.

Period
From 2017 to July 2021
Sector
Local government and reconstructionPost-ISIS reconstruction and IDP relief funds, Mosul
Kind of case
Criminal prosecution
Jurisdiction
Federal Iraq

How the money moved

Diversion of provincial budget and IDP relief funds via cheques to contractors for works never performed and transfers to personal accounts.

What happened

Dismissal, warrant, US/UK sanctions and (reported) five-year sentence.

Open questions

  • Court verdict(s) and amounts recovered; UNDP-funded project irregularities (Treasury: UNDP suspended projects in 2017).

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
Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan (al-Akoub)
نوفل العاكوب
Governor of NinevehConvicted (reported)Dismissed 24 March 2019 after the Tigris ferry disaster; an arrest warrant followed on 27 March 2019 and he fled (according to the US Treasury); the warrant was executed in October 2020. The Nineveh First Criminal Court sentenced him in person on 5 October 2023 to 15 years for embezzlement (Penal Code art. 315): IQD 48,077,125,000 of the 2018 stabilisation funds was withdrawn from Rasheed Bank and handed to a fugitive employee instead of official accounts (Integrity Commission statement; Shafaq names him). UK sanctions (July 2021). Released on 9 June 2026 under the general amnesty law, according to an informed source (Baghdad Today).30 September 2026

Sources

These are the documents on which this case rests. Each quote is given in the language of the document.
  1. 964media (Federal Integrity Commission statement)5 October 2023Official statement reported by the mediaTier B

    الحكم على محافظ نينوى الأسبق بالسجن 15 سنة بتهمة الاختلاس

    قرار حكمٍ حضوريٍّ يقضي بالسجن (15) سنة بحق محافظ نينوى الأسبق، استناداً إلى أحكام المادة (315) من قانون العقوبات؛ على إثر اقتراف جريمة اختلاس أموالٍ مُخصَّصةٍ لإعادة الاستقرار في محافظة نينوى
    Original
  2. Shafaq News5 October 2023Press reportTier C

    الحكم بالسجن المؤقت لمدة 15 سنة بحق محافظ نينوى الأسبق نوفل العاكوب

    أصدرت محكمة جنايات نينوى الاولى، اليوم الخميس، حكماً بالسجن المؤقت 15 سنة بحق محافظ نينوى الأسبق نوفل العاكوب
    Original
  3. Baghdad Today (informed source)9 June 2026Press report (unnamed source)Tier C

    القضاء العراقي يفرج عن محافظ نينوى الأسبق نوفل العاكوب

    أطلق القضاء العراقي، اليوم الثلاثاء، ( 9 حزيران 2026 )، سراح محافظ نينوى الأسبق، نوفل العاكوب ... إطلاق سراح (العاكوب) تم بعد شموله بقانون العفو العام
    Original
  4. OCCRP27 March 2019Press reportTier D

    Iraq Issues Warrant for Mosul's Provincial Governor Over Corruption

    Iraq has issued a warrant for the arrest of Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan
    Original
  5. Al Jazeera Net (Integrity Commission statement)22 April 2019Press reportTier D

    اختلاس 64 مليون دولار قبل إقالة محافظ نينوى

    أعلنت هيئة النزاهة العراقية في بيان اليوم عن فقدان نحو 64 مليون دولار
    Original
  6. Al Jazeera Net (Integrity Commission official)30 July 2019Press reportTier D

    اختلاس العاكوب ملايين الدولارات.. تكشفها هيئة النزاهة العراقية

    قام محافظ نينوى المقال نوفل العاكوب بسحبها وإيداعها في حسابه بإقليم كردستان
    Original
  7. Iraq Business News (citing UK Government)26 July 2021Press reportTier D

    UK issues Sanctions against former Governor of Nineveh

    Nawfal Hammadi Al-Sultan is alleged to have misappropriated public funds intended for reconstruction efforts
    Original
  8. English Wikipedia25 September 2026Press reportTier D

    2019 Mosul ferry sinking

    requested that the Iraqi parliament remove al-Akoub as governor, which the body did on 24 March
    Original

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