Sitting MP jailed for seven years in first conviction from Green Zone sweep

BAGHDAD — A sitting member of parliament named in June’s Green Zone operation has been sentenced to seven years for illicit enrichment and ordered to return nearly 5.9 billion dinars and about $11 million, the first conviction reported from the 15 names published at the time.

The Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court convicted Bahaa al-Nouri, whose full name the Federal Commission of Integrity gave as Bahaa al-Din Nour Mohammed Hussein, under the Integrity Commission and Illicit Gains Law of 2011. He was ordered to return 5,887,850,000 dinars and $10,990,787 identified as illicit gains, about $15.4 million in total at the official rate, and fined the same amount again, with the seizure of his movable and immovable assets upheld.

A separate three-year sentence was passed for concealing information on his financial disclosure form. The court ordered the seven-year term to be served.

Nouri was among the 15 names Iraqi state media published on June 28, when it said 47 lawmakers and officials had been detained in an operation inside the Green Zone based on statements attributed to detained former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili. 964media could not independently verify the total at the time and no account has been given since of what became of the others.

It is the largest sum yet in a conviction involving a lawmaker. Sitting MP Mohammed Nasser Dali al-Karbouli was jailed for two years in July over a $50,000 bribe and Hasnain Qasim Mohammed al-Khafaji for two years for blackmail later that month. Former lawmaker Kazem al-Sayadi was given six months for extortion on Aug. 30, the same day Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maarij al-Bahadli and former lawmaker Talal al-Zobaie received seven years each in separate illicit enrichment cases. On Sept. 14 the director general of the Electricity Ministry’s Central Electricity Distribution Company was sentenced to seven years for illicit enrichment.