Iraq's Deputy PM for Energy Affairs Hussein al-Shahrestani will file a lawsuit against a Kurdish MP who accused Baghdad of smuggling oil to Israel.
Kurdish member of the acting oil and energy committee at the Iraqi House of Representatives Farhad Atrushi said yesterday that the committee has evidence that proves Baghdad smuggles 150,000 barrels of oil per day to Israel.

Faysal Abdullah, head of Shahrestani's office, said a number of volunteering lawyers today asked the office to file a lawsuit against Atrushi for his accusations against Baghdad.

The office, in turn, assigned a legal adviser to Shahrestani to raise the complaint "considering that the allegation is disrespectful to the dignity of the state," said Abdullah.

Abdullah advised Atrushi to substantiate his allegation.

Atrushi's statement followed Shahrestani's threats over cutting part of the Kurdistan Region's budget if it did not cancel the decision to completely suspend its oil exports. The decision was made after Baghdad failed to pay the dues of oil companies operating in the region.




AKnews