Top Iraqi investment official given 4-year prison sentence for corruption cases

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The ex-head of Baghdad Investment Commission has been sentenced to four years imprisonment on corruption charges, according to an Iraqi court.

The verdict was issued on Sunday by the Criminal Court of Karkh in the Iraqi capital for Shakir al-Zaimili, who is still being tried for six other corruption cases.

According to the court, the former official has also been fined 10 million Iraqi dinars (around $6,800).

Al-Zamili was found guilty of taking bribes for the construction of a real estate project called Baghdad Star in the capital.

A designated government committee for combating corruption held by Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi presented its findings on the official, and he was tried as a result.  

Iraq is ranked 160 out of 180 corrupt countries on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index.

Several anti-corruption committees have been established since 2003 by various Iraqi prime ministers in an attempt to contain widespread corruption in the country, which analysts believe has eroded public trust in the government.

In October 2019, demonstrations broke out across Iraq against the chronic corruption in the country that has reduced job opportunities for many Iraqis. 

Iraq watchers regularly blame the patronage system that has existed in the country since 2003, in which political parties prioritize public jobs for their supporters.