Iraqi anti-corruption body announces 3-year sentence for impersonation fraud

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Integrity Commission said a court has sentenced a defendant to three years of hard imprisonment for defrauding a citizen by impersonating an official identity. The Commission's statement said the Hilla Magistrate's Court issued the ruling following a non-absentia hearing. According to the Commission, the defendant falsely claimed to hold influence and to have worked on one of the integrity committees, telling the complainant that an investigation file existed against the complainant's mother. Investigators later determined that the mother was listed only as a witness, not as a party to the case. The defendant allegedly promised to close the file in exchange for a sum of money, which he collected under the pretext of passing it to an investigator. The court reviewed the evidence, the complainant's statement and witness testimony before finding the defendant guilty. The ruling was issued under Article 312/1 of the Iraqi Penal Code, carrying a three-year hard imprisonment sentence. The complainant was also granted the right to seek compensation through civil courts. No further details were immediately available.