Ali Maaric, Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs, Was Convicted After an Unexplained Increase in His Assets Was Found

A senior Iraqi oil official has been sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of illicit enrichment. Ali Maaric, Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs, was convicted after an unexplained increase in his assets was found to constitute unjustified gains, according to Iraq's official INA news agency, citing the country's anti-corruption body. The court also ordered Maaric to pay a total of 53 billion Iraqi dinars, covering the amount of his illicit gains plus an equivalent fine. The report noted that the unexplained increase in Maaric's assets and his illicit earnings amounted to approximately 26.5 billion Iraqi dinars.