COI Investigation Office revealed that two judgments in absentia issued by the criminal court on corruption cases to jail for seven years against former Finance Minister and Al-Rafidein bank director, pursuant to the article 340 pc based on complicity articles 47, 48 and 49.

Speaking on the case details that previously investigated by COI, the Office stated that the two convicts have participated in 2012 with other accused persons their cases were sorted, causing a willful damage in funds and interests in which they were working for valued 40 billion dinars, by committing violations. The convicts granted loans to a company of fertilizers production, although there was lack of economic feasibility of the project and lack of real estate warranties in spite of immensity of loan amount which resulted in suspension of project and unable to pay the loan, the Office said.

After viewing obtained evidence of the case, represented by the statements of legal representative of the Ministry of Finance who requested complaint against the convicts, in addition to the minutes of investigative committee formed in the Ministry of Finance/ Inspector General Office which recommended to refer the convicts to the competent courts as well as their escape presumption are sufficient evidence for the court to convict them.

In a related context, in late October, the same court issued two sentences in absentia to seven years against the owner of company for fertilizers production which obtained the loan and its managing director pursuant to provision of article 444/11 pc, based on complicity articles 47, 48 and 49 for inflecting damage in public money.

The decisions which were issued against the four convicts included issuing of arrest warrant, conduct proper inspection on convicts, support attachment of their movable and immovable assets in addition to give the right to the affected party to request for compensation before the civil courts after decision comes final.