KTFA: 

Samson:  The National Union comments on the oil law: Our position is with the constitution and its appeal

5th June, 2022

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan commented Sunday, on the Kurdistan Judicial Council's rejection of the Federal Court's decision regarding the export of oil.

The official of Baghdad organizations in the Union, Rabha Hamad, said in an exclusive statement to "Mawazine News", that "the union's position is with the constitution and resorting to it, so the parties must sit at the dialogue table and meet to deal with the matter."

She added that "the solution to the issue is to legislate the oil and gas law," noting that the Federal Court law is binding and can be applied through understanding and legislating the law by returning to the constitution.  LINK

Samson:  Oil rises again and exceeds $121

06/06/2022 09:39:24

Oil prices rose today, Monday, in the oil futures market, by about two dollars.

Brent crude futures recorded $121.78 a barrel, while US crude futures reached $120.99 a barrel.

And oil, at the end of last week, recorded the sixth weekly gain, as West Texas Intermediate crude rose to settle above $ 118, achieving a weekly gain of 3.3%, while Brent crude ended Friday’s trading at the level of $ 121.35, with gains of $3.74, or 3.18%.

On Thursday, the OPEC+ alliance agreed to increase production during July and August.

At the same time, job growth in the United States exceeded estimates, indicating continued economic growth that will boost demand for crude and refined products, according to a report published by "Bloomberg" agency.  LINK

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Samson:  Government revenues at the end of 2022 will reach 142 trillion dinars

  6th June, 2022

The Ministry of Finance announced, on Monday, the data for the month of April, indicating that the total oil revenues until the month of April amounted to 45 trillion dinars, and non-oil revenues amounted to 2 trillion dinars.

The ministry stated, in a report seen by / the information /, that “the total current expenditures are about 29.7 trillion Iraqi dinars. As for investment expenses, they amounted to about 2 trillion dinars.” As for the total advances granted until the end of April, it was “2 trillion Iraqi dinars, and thus the surplus achieved is up to April 13.5 trillion Iraqi dinars.

He expected that "the total total revenues until the end of the year will reach 142 trillion dinars, while the total expenses and advances will be around 100 trillion Iraqi dinars, and Iraq will achieve a surplus that will exceed 40 trillion Iraqi dinars."   LINK

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Samson:  An Iraqi court sentences a British man to 15 years in prison for smuggling antiquities

6th June, 2022

On Monday, the Karkh Appeal Court sentenced a British citizen to 15 years in prison, and acquitted another German, on charges of smuggling antiquities out of the country.

The two suspects, British geologist James Fitton, 66, and German psychiatrist Volkar Waldmann, 60, had been part of a tourist group since March 6, before they were arrested at Baghdad Airport on March 20, after they were found in possession of 12 items. Antiques are mostly ceramic and pottery breakers.

In the first affidavit, the judge said that the defendants, who attended the session wearing yellow uniforms, are being tried according to Article 41 of the Iraqi Heritage and Antiquities Law, which stipulates a penalty of up to the death penalty for “whoever deliberately removed archaeological material from Iraq or attempted to extract it.”

James Fitton's attorney said he plans to appeal the ruling on the grounds of no criminal intent. The judge, in the presence of an interpreter, first heard what Weldmann, who lives in Berlin, had to say, and found two antiquities in his bag.

In his statement, the accused denied that he took the two pieces, saying that Fitton gave them to him. He also said that "there was no indication that these artifacts are antiquities and it is forbidden to take them." He added, "When Vuitton gave me the pieces, I put them in a transparent bag and left them in my bag in a visible way and did not try to hide them, so they appeared in the X-ray machine, and I was supposed to return them to him before we entered the airport."

Along with the other accused, 10 artifacts were found that were taken as well as other artifacts from two archaeological sites in the Dhi Qar Governorate in southern Iraq that date back to the Sumerian civilization. "I did not realize that it was against the law to take these pieces," Fitton said in his testimony before the judge. "What puzzled me was that some sites had warnings, guards and fences, and others were open." He added that "the majority of the pieces" he took "were very small".  LINK

Samson:  Seven years imprisonment for the former inspector general of the Iraqi Ministry of Health

6th June, 2022

The Investigation Department of the Federal Integrity Commission revealed today, Monday, the issuance of a ruling in absentia against the former Inspector General of the Ministry of Health; for causing damage to public funds.

The department said in a statement on the details of the case that it investigated and referred it to the judiciary, which was reported to Shafaq News Agency, that the Rusafa Criminal Court, which is specialized in integrity issues, issued a ruling in absentia against the former Inspector General of the Ministry of Health, serving a seven-year prison sentence; for causing damage to public money, explaining that the judgment issued against the accused came; As a result of receiving financial grants from the Popular Medical Clinics Department, amounting to 200 million dinars, and disbursing them in contravention of the regulations granted to him.

She added that the court, after reviewing the evidence and evidence obtained in this case, reached full conviction of the defendant's negligence, and decided to sentence him to imprisonment for a period of (seven years). According to the provisions of Article (340) of the Penal Code.

Article (340) of the Penal Code stipulates that “Any public servant or person assigned to a public service who willfully causes damage to the funds or interests of the entity in which he works or is connected by virtue of his position or the funds of the persons entrusted to him shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding seven years.”  LINK

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Samson:  Integrity arrests 3 government managers in Mosul on charges of financial corruption

6th June, 2022

A security source in Nineveh reported on Monday, the arrest of three government directors in the province on charges of financial corruption.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "A team from the Integrity Commission has arrested the current and former directors of the municipal liberation sector and the director of property and abuses in the sector on the left side of Mosul."

And he stated that "the reason for the arrest is to interrogate them in the case of a park land that was acquired by the Bright Future Club and occupied, while it is still under construction and has not yet been completed."  LINK