An Iraqi-born British businessman was charged by the US over his alleged role in a bribery scheme to obtain millions of dollars’ worth of US Army reconstruction contracts in Iraq between 2007 and 2009.
Shwan Al Mulla, 60, who formerly owned Iraqi Consultants & Construction Bureau, is accused of paying more $1 million in bribes through his company to John Alfy Salama Markus, an employee at the US Army’s engineer corps (Usace).
Mr Al Mulla was charged with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Each fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.
Salama Markus was sent to Camp Speicher airbase in Tikrit and involved in the review and award of lucrative reconstruction jobs in Iraq. One of the projects involved infrastructure improvements at the Baiji Oil Refinery.
Ahmed Nouri pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and is awaiting sentence.
Salama Markus admitted to wire fraud, money laundering and tax offences and in 2013 was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
“In exchange for over $1 million in bribes, Salama Markus provided Al Mulla and his conspirators with confidential Usace information concerning bids, independent government estimates and the selection process,” the US Justice Department said.
“Al Mulla and Nouri used this information to submit winning bids for millions of dollars in contracts. They also submitted bids on behalf of multiple companies, with Salama Markus’s knowledge, for the same contracts.”
Mr Al Mulla is at large and his current location is unknown, however, a UK Companies House profile that appears to be his lists his residence as the UAE.
He was a director at Richmond, The American International University in London, from May 2016 to February 2017 when he resigned.
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
