An Iraqi anti-corruption court has sentenced former deputy oil minister Ali Al Bahadli to seven years in prison. The court also ordered him to return more than $20 million to the state. Iraq corruption crackdown efforts have intensified after authorities launched a series of high-profile investigations.
Al Bahadli served as deputy oil minister for distribution affairs before his arrest. Iraq’s Commission of Integrity said the court convicted him over illicit financial gains. The ruling also imposed a fine exceeding $20 million, matching the value of the funds he must repay.
Former parliamentarian Talal Al Zubaie received the same seven-year prison sentence in a separate case. Authorities found him guilty of illicit gains and money laundering. The case involved approximately 35 billion Iraqi dinars, worth around $26.7 million.
The court ordered Al Zubaie to return the alleged proceeds to the state. It also imposed an additional fine equal to the amount involved in the case. The verdicts form part of a wider campaign targeting suspected financial misconduct among senior officials.
Authorities detained dozens of people during raids in June. The operations included locations inside and around Baghdad’s heavily secured Green Zone. The arrests followed a government campaign aimed at tackling corruption and recovering allegedly misappropriated public funds.
Investigators uncovered a large amount of cash at Al Bahadli’s home after his arrest. The Supreme Judiciary Council said authorities seized $11 million and four billion Iraqi dinars on June 29. The discovery added significant weight to the investigation into his finances.
Images released by Iraqi authorities showed investigators breaking through a wall inside a building near a swimming pool. They discovered suitcases containing tightly packed bundles of U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars. Investigators also found retail packaging, including a Rolex box containing a gold watch.
The presiding judge at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption said authorities discovered the money during the initial investigation. Officials subsequently pursued the case through Iraq’s anti-corruption judicial system. Iraq corruption crackdown operations have also produced other major seizures in recent months.
Authorities recently reported another large recovery involving cash and gold. The seizure reportedly included $26 million in cash and more than 60 kilograms of gold. Such discoveries highlight the scale of the assets investigators are examining during the campaign.
Al Bahadli also faced separate U.S. sanctions before his Iraqi conviction. Washington accused him of helping mix Iraqi and Iranian oil as part of an alleged scheme. The United States said the activity helped Tehran circumvent sanctions.
Iraq’s Oil Ministry rejected those accusations at the time. U.S. Treasury officials had previously linked Al Bahadli to what they described as significant corruption within Iraq’s energy sector. The Iraqi court proceedings focused on domestic allegations involving illicit gains.
The latest verdicts could strengthen Baghdad’s efforts to demonstrate tougher enforcement against financial crimes. Recovering allegedly stolen assets remains a major challenge for Iraq. Iraq corruption crackdown efforts are now placing greater pressure on senior officials and former lawmakers accused of financial wrongdoing.