Najaf airport officials sentenced to 10 years for corruption in absentia

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Federal Integrity Commission announced on Saturday that a 10-year prison sentence has been handed down in absentia to the former chairman of the Najaf Airport Board of Directors and three other former board members for corruption-related charges.

In a statement, the commission said the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court issued the sentence against former board chairman Faed Kazem Noon Hussein Al-Shammari, along with three other board members: Hussein Ne’ma Khashan Shanawa Al-Zamili, Kareem Khsaf Sattar Al-Khafaji, and Mustafa Ma’an Saeed Al-Turaihi.

The charges stem from violations related to a $71.98 million contract for designing and preparing a new runway and associated pathways for Najaf Airport. The contract was awarded directly to a coalition of companies without a public tender, in violation of Iraqi government contracting regulations (Decision No. 2 of 2014). The commission added that there were no detailed technical specifications or quantity estimates provided, and the companies involved lacked experience with similar projects.

Additionally, the statement revealed the contract was awarded in exchange for a 10% kickback on the total value of the deal, further breaching government regulations. The court sentenced the individuals to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of 10 million dinars under Decision No. 160 of 1983.

This conviction follows a prior ruling from May 23, 2024, in which Al-Shammari was sentenced in absentia to three years for violating his duties as board head. He was found guilty of contracting with a factory located within the airport that lacked necessary approvals and did not meet health regulations.