On Thursday, the Iraqi judiciary announced the issuance of two prison sentences against Muthanna al-Samarrai, the leader of the second largest Sunni coalition in the country, and Ziad al-Janabi, the MP and former head of the parliamentary “Integrity Committee,” in a case regarding benefiting from contracts for oil refinery companies, as part of an anti-corruption campaign launched by the government last June.
The Federal Integrity Commission said in a statement that the court sentenced Al-Samarrai to 6 years in prison, and Al-Janabi to 5 years, after convicting them of benefiting from contracts linked to the “North” and “South” refinery companies.
She added that the court obligated Al-Samarrai to return 30 billion Iraqi dinars, which she said he obtained through mediation in the contracts, while it obligated Al-Janabi to return 4 billion dinars, which the statement said he benefited from from the contracts themselves.
Al-Samarrai was arrested on June 28, 2026, as part of an arrest campaign that targeted current and former representatives and officials on the basis of corruption accusations, and was dubbed in the media as “the Commander of Dawn.”
Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi launched the campaign after assuming office last May, with the aim of prosecuting those involved in corruption cases. However, its pace later declined under political pressure, according to local reports.
The case is linked to a former official in the Ministry of Oil, Adnan Al-Jumaili, and suspicions of obtaining benefits and commissions from government contracts.
Al-Samarrai was referred to trial under “Article 319” of the Iraqi Penal Code, which deals with the employee or person assigned to a public service benefiting, directly or indirectly, from the works, contracts, and undertakings related to his duties.
The new rulings come in the context of a series of judicial procedures that affected current and former representatives and officials, including Alia Nassif, Talal Al-Zubaie, Muhammad Al-Karbouli, Bahaa Al-Nouri, Hassan Al-Khafaji, Bushra Al-Qaisi, and Hind Al-Abbasi, in addition to officials in the Ministry of Oil.
A number of wanted officials, according to available information, are still outside the control of the authorities, including former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ahmed Al-Asadi, who was leading an armed faction within the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Campaign not completed
Musa Faraj, former head of the Federal Integrity Commission, said that Al-Zaidi’s campaign “represents progress compared to previous stages, when government decisions contributed to protecting the corrupt or obstructing the work of the regulatory and judicial bodies,” he said.
He added that the campaign “achieved results in files related to the issue of corruption in refineries, based on statements made by Al-Jumaili before judicial authorities, as well as actions in cases of illegal gain.”
But he believed that the campaign was still limited in scope, noting that “key files, including currency corruption, real estate, oil smuggling, and fake employees, were not covered by the measures to the same extent.”
Faraj said, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, that one of the shortcomings is also “the lack of accountability of the political blocs to which officials accused of corruption belong, despite the influence of those blocs and their benefit from some of those involved,” according to his estimate.
He added, "The continuation of the campaign and its effectiveness depend on expanding the scope of investigations and pursuing broader files, in addition to preventing political blocs from replacing their candidates with those who have been convicted."
Quotas and investment cost
For his part, Nabil Al-Marsoumi, professor of economics at the University of Basra, said that corruption hinders investment and development in Iraq, that it raises the cost of doing business, and makes the economic environment less attractive for local capital.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Marsoumi described the campaign as “a positive step, but it did not include all those involved,” noting the arrest of prominent figures and the recovery of large sums of public funds.
He added that enhancing the results of combating corruption requires “pursuing those involved at various levels of the state, and drying up the sources of corruption, most notably the party and political quota system, in addition to strengthening the independence of the oversight bodies and their ability to perform their duties.”
Judgments subject to appeal
Saif Al-Saadi, a legal expert, said that the two rulings are based on “Article 319” of the Iraqi Penal Code, “which punishes an employee or person assigned a public service if he benefits, directly or through an intermediary, from contracts or works that he has a role in preparing, referring, implementing, or supervising, or receives a commission related to them.”
Al-Saadi added, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, that the recovery of funds is based on the amended “Integrity and Illicit Gain Commission” Law No. 30 of 2011. “Especially (Article 19) thereof.”
Al-Saadi explained that criminal court rulings are subject to appeal before the Federal Court of Cassation within the legal period, which he said is 30 days from the date of issuance of the ruling. If the ruling is ratified, it becomes final, and the resulting legal procedures will be completed.
He pointed out that the vacancy of the seats of Al-Samarrai and Al-Janabi, after the two rulings gained final status and met the legal requirements, is subject to the provisions of the “Law for Replacement of Members of the House of Representatives.”
