UK businessman charged by US over multi-million dollar bribery scheme in Iraq

Shwan Al Mulla accused of seeking to obtain millions of dollars through construction contracts

One of the projects involved was infrastructure improvements at the Baiji Oil Refinery.Reuters

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.