Former Najaf Airport Director detained over $72M contract

Shafaq News- Najaf

Iraqi security forces arrested former Najaf International Airport Director Fayed al-Shammari on Tuesday, immediately after his aircraft landed in the facility, a source told Shafaq News.

The source explained that authorities acted under a court ruling sentencing al-Shammari in absentia to prison over violations tied to a $72 million contract concluded during his tenure at the airport, which caused damage to public funds.

Meanwhile, local media reported that al-Shammari turned himself in and will be included under Iraq’s General Amnesty Law if he settles the financial losses owed to the state.

The Federal Integrity Commission announced on May 23, 2024, that a court issued a three-year prison sentence in absentia against al-Shammari, after convicting him of contracting with a factory inside the airport without obtaining required legal approvals or health oversight, in violation of Article 331 of Iraq’s Penal Code, to secure an unlawful benefit at the state’s expense.