Ex-trade minister appears before Samawa court on corruption charges

MUTHANNA / IraqiNews.com: Ex-trade Minister Abdulfalah al-Sudani on Monday appeared before a Samawa court to answer questions about charges of administrative and financial corruption, according to a local judicial source. “This morning, a specialized committee from the Samawa court began questioning the resigned minister of trade on corruption charges…,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. Sudani is accused of squandering public money and mismanaging his ministry by importing expired foodstuffs. Yesterday (May 31), Sudani, a 62-year-old dual British Iraqi national, was put in the Samawa Centeral Prison after he had been brought from Baghdad under police escort. On Saturday (May 30), a source from Baghdad International Airport said that Sudani was arrested upon his arrival at the airport after his plane had been ordered to return to Baghdad. On its way to the United Arab Emirates, a plane carrying the minister has been returned to Iraq less than one and a half hours after taking off from the airport. A few days ago, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki accepted Sudani’s resignation, which was tendered on May 14. Sudani was questioned by the Parliament for two days on charges of “administrative and financial corruption.” SS (S) 3