Former Iraqi MP sentenced over illicit enrichment
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court sentenced former lawmaker Talal Al-Zobaie to seven years in prison and ordered the confiscation of extensive assets, according to court documents obtained by Shafaq News on Friday.
The court ordered Al-Zobaie to repay 5.549 billion Iraqi dinars and $128.961 million in illicit gains and unexplained wealth, as well as a fine equal to those amounts. The ruling stipulated that he would remain in custody after completing his sentence until the payments and fines were settled in full.
The confiscated assets included properties, cash in Iraqi dinars, US dollars and Jordanian dinars, 10 wristwatches, 17 prayer beads, gold jewelry and several luxury vehicles registered to or used by Al-Zobaie and his family. The court ordered the properties and other assets transferred to the Finance Ministry.
According to the documents dated August 30, the court also froze movable and immovable assets belonging to Al-Zobaie, his wife and children. He failed to demonstrate legitimate sources for his wealth and properties, including claims that some profits came from businesses or companies that had been inactive for years.
Al-Zobaie had not declared the assets in financial disclosure forms submitted to Iraq’s Integrity Commission, the court added.
In July, security forces searched Al-Zobaie’s farm in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, and placed its assets under official custody. According to an official search record, they included hundreds of buffaloes and sheep, as well as horses, gazelles, ostriches and other animals. Authorities sealed the farm after the inspection in Al-Zobaie’s presence.
On June 28, Iraqi authorities launched the nationwide Dawn Crackdown (Sawlat Al-Fajr) anti-corruption campaign under Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, targeting current and former government officials, lawmakers, politicians, business figures and other suspects.
Read more: Iraq’s Dawn Crackdown spreads through state institutions
