Ex-transport minister Kazem Finjan sentenced to three years in absentia

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity announced Tuesday that former Transport Minister Kazem Finjan, who served from 2016 to 2018 under Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, has been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison.

The ruling stems from allegations that Finjan breached his official duties and committed irregularities in contracts related to fueling Iraqi Airways aircraft.

“The Rusafa Misdemeanor Court for Integrity Cases issued a ruling in absentia against former Transport Minister Kazem Finjan Hussein, sentencing him to three years of severe imprisonment for deliberately violating his job duties,” the Integrity Commission said in a statement.

The court’s decision followed an investigation into contracts for supplying fuel to Iraqi Airways planes at international stations. Testimony from the Ministry of Transport’s legal representative and evidence presented during the trial led to the conviction under Article 331 of Iraq’s Penal Code.

Article 331 of the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969 stipulates penalties for public officials who deliberately act against the duties of their position, causing harm to an individual’s interests or benefiting another person or entity at the expense of the state. Such offenses can result in imprisonment, a fine, or both.