Lawmaker says court to have final word on ex-trade minister’s case

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: An Iraqi parliamentarian from the Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) on Tuesday called on the judiciary to come to an “unbiased” ruling in the case of the ex-trade minister, Abdulfalah al-Sudani. “The Parliament has done its part by professionally questioning the trade minister, disregarding his political background…The minister could not defend the charges leveled against him,” MP Ahmed Alwani said in a statement released by the front and received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Sudani has been released on bail of 50 million Iraqi dinars (ID), pending his case being heard by the Criminal Court. “The release on bail has been approved by three out of five judges..,” Abdulamir al-Shamri told IraqiNews.com news agency. Sudani, a 62-year-old dual British Iraqi national, is accused of squandering public money and mismanaging his ministry by importing expired foodstuffs. 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) 1