Iraq judiciary asks Erbil to arrest ex-Nineveh governor

NINEVEH, Iraq

The Iraqi judiciary on Monday demanded authorities in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region to arrest sacked Nineveh governor Nofal al-Akoub.

The Nineveh Court of Appeals sent an official document to the Erbil Nineveh Court of Appeals to carry out arrest warrants issued against the former governor.

Two arrest warrants were issued against al-Akoub on March 26 and April 2 over corruption charges.

Al-Akoub stands accused of squandering public funds and abusing his position.

Last month, Iraq’s parliament approved a request by Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi for al-Akoub’s immediate dismissal following a ferryboat accident near Mosul (Nineveh’s provincial capital) that left more than 100 people dead.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat