13 May 2012
BAGHDAD - Baghdad's Karkh Court today dismissed the lawsuit that deputy PM for Energy Affairs Hussein al-Shahrestani filed against a Kurdish MP over the media statements he made against Shahrestani about oil smuggling.
On May 5 Shahrestani's office said that it will file the lawsuit against Kurdish Blocs Coalition (KBC) MP Farhad Atrushi after he accused Baghdad officials of smuggling oil to Israel.
The judge rejected the case "on the ground of issues related to formalities of the lawsuits," Atrushi said.
Atrushi attributed the rejection to Shahrestani's lawyer and his office's "lack of experience... as the lawyer was talking on the behalf of Shahrestani in the name of the government while Shahrestani allowed him a personal proxy."
The deputy PM demanded 100m IQD ($86,000) in the lawsuit as compensation for the slander case.
On May 5 Atrushi said the lawsuit includes three points. Firstly is with regard to statements over smuggling oil into Iran and secondly over smuggling oil into Israel. The third point is in details "that I have accused Shahrestani of standing in the way of ratifying the hydrocarbon bill".
Atrushi described the lawsuit as "ridiculous... because as a member of the oil and energy committee I have the right to comment on oil and energy".
The MP was surprised that despite his legal immunity the court was intending to try him. Then he said that he would discuss the issue with speaker for the House of Representatives Osama al-Nujaifi.
Atrushi accused officials in Baghdad of smuggling 150,000 barrels of oil into Israel through Jordan after Shahrestani accused Kurdistan of smuggling oil into neighboring countries and withholding its revenues.
The incrimination followed the Kurdistan Region's decision on April 1 to suspend all of its oil exports - 175,000 barrels per day - as Baghdad failed to pay what it owed to oil companies investing in the region.
Baghdad has always accused Kurdistan of a lack of transparency with regard to the procedures and income of its oil sector investments. It does not recognize Erbil oil contracts as legal.
BAGHDAD - Baghdad's Karkh Court today dismissed the lawsuit that deputy PM for Energy Affairs Hussein al-Shahrestani filed against a Kurdish MP over the media statements he made against Shahrestani about oil smuggling.
On May 5 Shahrestani's office said that it will file the lawsuit against Kurdish Blocs Coalition (KBC) MP Farhad Atrushi after he accused Baghdad officials of smuggling oil to Israel.
The judge rejected the case "on the ground of issues related to formalities of the lawsuits," Atrushi said.
Atrushi attributed the rejection to Shahrestani's lawyer and his office's "lack of experience... as the lawyer was talking on the behalf of Shahrestani in the name of the government while Shahrestani allowed him a personal proxy."
The deputy PM demanded 100m IQD ($86,000) in the lawsuit as compensation for the slander case.
On May 5 Atrushi said the lawsuit includes three points. Firstly is with regard to statements over smuggling oil into Iran and secondly over smuggling oil into Israel. The third point is in details "that I have accused Shahrestani of standing in the way of ratifying the hydrocarbon bill".
Atrushi described the lawsuit as "ridiculous... because as a member of the oil and energy committee I have the right to comment on oil and energy".
The MP was surprised that despite his legal immunity the court was intending to try him. Then he said that he would discuss the issue with speaker for the House of Representatives Osama al-Nujaifi.
Atrushi accused officials in Baghdad of smuggling 150,000 barrels of oil into Israel through Jordan after Shahrestani accused Kurdistan of smuggling oil into neighboring countries and withholding its revenues.
The incrimination followed the Kurdistan Region's decision on April 1 to suspend all of its oil exports - 175,000 barrels per day - as Baghdad failed to pay what it owed to oil companies investing in the region.
Baghdad has always accused Kurdistan of a lack of transparency with regard to the procedures and income of its oil sector investments. It does not recognize Erbil oil contracts as legal.
© AK News 2012
