Shafaq News- Baghdad

A Baghdad court has ordered former Iraqi lawmaker Jamal Nasser Dali Al-Karbouli to repay $4.5 million to the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) after finding that he had taken control of a Saudi grant earmarked for a hospital project in Baghdad and diverted the funds for personal use.

In a statement, the IRCS said the ruling by Al-Karkh Court of First Instance followed investigations into corruption and misuse of public funds linked to Al-Karbouli's tenure as deputy chairman of the organization.

The decision stemmed from a previous conviction by the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court under Article 453 of Iraq’s Penal Code, which sentenced Al-Karbouli to one year in prison. The Federal Court of Cassation later upheld the judgment and affirmed the IRCS's right to seek civil compensation.

Judge Saif Abbas Mukhlif also ordered Al-Karbouli to repay the full amount, in addition to covering court expenses and legal fees.

Al-Karbouli had been previously arrested in April 2021 on corruption-related charges but was released later that year, on November 28.