Iraqi politician Yazan al-Jubouri jailed five years for $31 million influence fraud

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court has sentenced politician Yazan Mishaan Rakad al-Jubouri to five years in prison for fraud, after convicting him of obtaining 41 billion dinars (about $31 million) by falsely claiming influence within the prime minister’s office, the Federal Commission of Integrity said Tuesday.

The commission said the court issued the verdict under Article 456 of the Penal Code. It found that in 2024, al-Jubouri convinced a complainant he served as an adviser to the prime minister and could arrange a meeting and secure favorable treatment. He then directed a fugitive suspect, who worked as the authorized manager of one of the complainant’s companies, to withdraw the 41 billion dinars and hand the funds over through fraudulent means.

The case stems from allegations that surfaced earlier this year. In February, security forces arrested al-Jubouri at his home under a warrant from an investigative judge in Baghdad’s Karkh district, which accused him of impersonating a public office to intervene in official duties “for the purpose of achieving financial benefits.”