COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

Baghdad, Iraq

 

Contact:�� Shane Wolfe

Office of Strategic Communications

1-914-822-4935

 

IRAQ�S CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT SENDS FORMER GOVERNOR OF NAJAF TO PRISON FOR 14 YEARS

 

Baghdad, Iraq...November 3, 2003 � After a three-day trial, Iraq�s Central Criminal Court today convicted the former governor of Najaf for illegal arrest, destruction of a government document and misuse of office.�

 

The Court�s three Iraqi judges sentenced Abdul Munim to a total of 14 years in prison.� The sentence consists of five years for the illegal arrest charge, three years for the destruction of the government document charge and six years for the misuse of office charge.�

 

Abdul Munim was arrested on June 26 and charged by an Iraqi investigative judge in Najaf.�

 

During the three-day trial, the Court heard evidence that, from April to June of this year, Munim illegally detained three children of a political enemy, tore up a Ministry of Finance document prohibiting him to from withdrawing money from government accounts and illegally retained money belonging to a man who had been released from detention.�

 

A total of six witnesses testified before the Court during the trial, in which Munim was represented by the two Iraqi lawyers he hired.���

 

Munim has the right to appeal his conviction to Iraq�s Court of Cassation.