Shafaq News/ Former deputy of the Iraqi intelligence agency could be facing a potential five-year prison sentence if he was found guilty for corruption and torture, a source revealed on Sunday.
Speaking with the Shafaq News Agency, the source said that Abu Ragheef is currently charged under Article 331 of the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969.
This article imposes imprisonment and a fine, or one of these penalties, on any public official who intentionally breaches their job duties or refuses to perform their tasks with the intent to harm an individual's interest, secure personal benefit at the expense of another, or act against the state.
The source explained that this charge is considered a misdemeanor, as defined by Article 26 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which reads, "a misdemeanor is a crime punishable by one of the following penalties:
1 - Severe or simple imprisonment for more than three months up to five years,
2 - A fine."
Earlier today, a source revealed that ex-intelligence officer has been held in custody following an explicit directive from Interior Minister Abdul-Amir al-Shammari.
The source said that the arrest was instigated to probe Abu Ragheef's involvement in multiple undisclosed cases.
A judicious source recounted that the Karkh investigation court in Baghdad had previously imposed a travel ban on Abu Ragheef, granting him a legal period to validate the legitimacy of his financial sources.
In August 2020, former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi established a high-level investigative committee to scrutinize major corruption cases and criminal offenses. Chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Ahmed Abu Ragheef, the committee wielded extensive authority, leading to the arrest of high-ranking officials and prominent politicians on corruption-related charges. However, the committee's work raised multiple waves of controversy.
On December 22, 2022, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani mandated that any entity employing torture and forcibly extracting confessions be held accountable. This marked the first government response to the disconcerting revelations published by the Washington Post on December 21, 2022, which accused Abu Ragheef's committee of perpetrating "isolation, torture, and sexual violence" against Iraqi officials and businesspeople.
The Washington Post's nine-month investigation disclosed that the previous Iraqi government, led by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, employed morally reprehensible tactics, including sexual violations, to extract confessions from senior officials and businesspersons during its anti-corruption campaign.
The investigative report, which drew from interviews with over 20 individuals—including five men detained by the committee, nine relatives of detainees, and 11 Iraqi and Western officials who monitored the committee's work—unveiled a disheartening reality. The campaign was marred by abuse and humiliation, prioritizing the acquisition of pre-written confessions over genuinely addressing corruption.
