The latest corruption news from Iraq – company or government bribes, theft, stealing – brought to you by Iraq Business News
The European Commission has imposed fines totalling 169 million euros on 14 freight forwarding companies for conspiring to fix the prices of surcharges. In 2003, soon after the UK introduced electronic declarations for exports, the companies broke the law by conspiring to levy a surcharge for this reporting service, according to the Financial Times. They agreed […]
AFP reports that three men have been charged with conspiring to defraud the US government over a kickback scheme involving contracts for ammunition disposal in Iraq. Briton Ahmed Sarchil Kazzaz and his business, Leadstay Company, were charged in federal court in the southern state of Alabama along with US citizens Gaines Newell, 52, and Billy […]
A departmental head at Iraq's South Oil Company (SOC) has reportedly fled the country after being accused of accepting bribes from a subsidiary of Australia's Leighton Holdings to help it secure contracts in southern Iraq. Uday Awad, a member of the Iraqi parliament's oil and energy committee, told The Australian that the head of the […]
The establishment of a new transparency board to promote integrity and anti-corruption practises in Kurdistan was announced on this week, according to AKnews. The so-called Transparency Development and Impeachment Board will investigate government conduct, identify shortcomings and inform the relative bodies. Husam Barzinji [Hisam Hakim Barzinji], the General director of the Kurdistan Economic Development Organization, […]
Fadel Mohammed, legal adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has said that the Iraqi government is currently pursuing more than 150 foreign companies accused of corruption in the UN's Oil-for-Food program. AKnews reports that the government is determined to bring these companies to justice, adding that there are several other companies under investigation. The Oil-for-Food […]
Iraq has threatened to expel Leighton Holdings from the country’s lucrative oil and gas fields, following the company's announcement on Monday of an investigation into possible corruption. The deputy head of the Iraqi Oil Ministry’s petroleum contracts and licensing directorate, Sabah Al-Saidi, told The Australian Financial Review he was shocked by claims that Leighton Holdings […]
Leighton Holdings Limited (Leighton) has announced that it has reported to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) a possible breach of its Code of Ethics that, if substantiated, may contravene Australian laws. The possible breach related to payments that may have been made by Leighton’s subsidiary company, Leighton Offshore Pte. Limited, in connection with work to […]
A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government participated in the 3rd Middle East Summit on Anti-Corruption. The conference was a platform for senior-level executives in both public and private sectors to discuss strategies for minimizing bribery risks in the Middle East and implementing an effective and risk-based global compliance program. Ms Nisar Talabany, Senior Adviser […]
A British businessman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to corrupt, including making corrupt payments to Iraqi officials. Dr David Turner (56), the former Innospec Limited Global Sales and Marketing Director (Tetraethyl Lead), appeared before His Honour Judge McCreath at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to corrupt. The […]
A former U.S. Army contracting official has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme related to bribes paid for contracts awarded in support of the Iraq war. Eddie Pressley, 41, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the prison term. The […]
Maersk Line Limited, part of the Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, has agreed to pay $31.9 million to settle claims that it overcharged the U.S. military for transporting cargo to support American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The settlement resolves a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former industry insider. The individual, Jerry Brown, […]
Security forces in Sulaimaniyah City have detained two people on charges of forging Iraqi money, reports AKnews. The two men were arrested by the security forces with fake money and arms in their possession, after another man who had been detained the previous day on similar charges admitted the charges and identified the other two. The […]
