Former Iraqi minister arrested for corruption
Iraq's former electricity minister, a member of the transitional government set up after the 2003 US-led invasion, was arrested today on corruption charges after he surrendered, an official said. Ayham al-Samarie, a dual Iraq-US citizen and Sunni Arab political figure, is one of the five ministers in the former government against whom arrest warrants were issued for massive corruption. The others the ministers of labour, defence, transportation and housing remain at large. Al-Samarie gave himself up at the Central Criminal Court, said Judge Radhi al-Radhi, chief of the Public Integrity Commission. He said al-Samarie was put under arrest and taken to a jail where he will remain until a trial starts. No date for the trial has been set.
Posted by: Fred 2006-08-23 |