Iraq Jails US-Sanctioned Oil Official Over 'Illicit Gains'

A US-sanctioned oil official has been sentenced to seven years in prison by an Iraqi anti-corruption court.

The official, Ali Al-Bahadli, was Deputy Oil Minister for Distribution Affairs and was accused of fraudulently mixing Iraqi and Iranian oil as part of a scheme to help Iran avoid sanctions.

Bahadli was arrested during anti-graft raids in June and is among dozens of officials detained by the government-led campaign against corruption.

The court ruled that Bahadli must return an amount equivalent to over $20 million in ill-gotten gains, as well as pay a fine of the same amount.