Iraq sentenced a US-sanctioned oil official to seven years in prison after he was arrested as part of a government-led anti-corruption campaign, the country's anti-graft body said on Sunday.
Deputy oil minister for distribution affairs Ali al-Bahadli is among dozens of officials who were detained in June during anti-graft raids that took place in several areas, mostly in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone.
The Commission of Integrity said in a statement that an anti-corruption court sentenced Bahadli to seven years in prison for "illicit gains".
The ruling requires Bahadli to return to the state an amount equivalent to more than $20 million in ill-gotten gains, in addition to paying a fine of the same amount.
The United States imposed sanctions on Bahadli in May, accusing him of fraudulently mixing Iraqi and Iranian oil as part of a scheme to help Iran avoid sanctions.
At the time, Iraq's oil ministry denied the accusations against Bahadli, who was then arrested during the anti-graft raids.
Iraqi authorities said that the raids were part of new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's campaign to fight the corruption that has plagued Iraq for decades.
But several Iraqi officials told AFP that the raids were also part of al-Zaidi's campaign against funding for pro-Iran armed groups and the smuggling of Iranian oil.
Iraq has been under mounting pressure from the United States to curb Tehran's influence and rein in Iran-backed armed factions, which Washington designates as terrorist groups.
Al-Zaidi, who took office this year with the blessing of the United States, has pledged to ensure the armed factions that emerged after the US-led invasion hand over their weapons to the state.
In Iraq, corruption is especially rampant across public institutions, but convictions typically target mid-level officials or minor players and rarely those at the top of the power hierarchy.
