Advisor: KRG can reject ‘expert’ Federal Court assigned for Erbil-Baghdad oil dispute

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has the right to reject the expert which the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq has assigned for the Ministry of Oil’s hearings on the KRG’s oil exports, a legal advisor to the semi-autonomous government said on Thursday.

Amanj Raheem, a legal advisor and Cabinet Secretary at the KRG, highlighted in a statement the KRG’s position on the assignment of a technical expert for the hearings regarding a lawsuit against the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports to international markets.

According to Raheem, there are many cases based on the Federal Court’s laws where both the KRG and the Iraqi Ministry of Oil can reject the assigned expert.

“One of the cases [where the expert can be rejected] is that the person has previously given his opinion on the matter” in public, the KRG official stated.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Federal Court said the hearings for Kurdistan’s oil exports were postponed for Aug. 29, adding the court would rely on an expert to finalize the case.

A day later, Iraq Oil Report revealed that the Federal Court had chosen former Iraqi Oil Minister Hamza al-Jawahery as the designated expert. Jawahery is known for his strong criticism of the KRG’s oil and gas policies.

Raheem stressed that the expert’s input at the Federal Court hearings would be non-binding, adding that Jawahery does not have the right to express a legal opinion on the matter, and will only present scientific and technical information.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany