Kirkuk contractor convicted for road blockade over delayed payments

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A contractor in Kirkuk closed a section of the road between Al-Fath and Peyce to protest delays in the handover of his project and in receiving outstanding payments, prompting local authorities to seek a contempt ruling against him. The contractor, Bashar al-Dilimi, said work on the first stretch of the road had been completed months earlier but that he had been unable to collect his dues because the technical commission had not completed handover procedures. Kirkuk Provincial Council member Ahmed Fatih Kirkuki said officials contacted the Kirkuk Operations Command to reopen the road and secured a conviction against the contractor. Kirkuki said the road belonged to the public and could not be closed regardless of the reason. He attributed delays in project handovers and contractor payments to insufficient financial allocations. A source at the Kirkuk Directorate of Roads and Bridges said the project was run by the provincial council and that handover procedures fall under the authority of the project owner. The road's closure disrupted movement for daily commuters and other road users. Residents and the office of Kirkuk Governor Mohammed Sem'an Agha were asked to intervene to resolve the issue and reopen the road.