A court in Baghdad on 5 January sentenced former deputy minister of electricity Raad al-Harris to six years in prison and a fine of ID10mn ($6,850) after finding him guilty of “receiving bribes and unlawfully awarding contracts.” Al-Harris who served as senior advisor to current caretaker prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was tasked to head a team overlooking power plant projects before his arrest in November 2020. He is the second high-ranking electricity official to be found guilty following a four-year sentence for Raad Qasim, the former director general of investment at the ministry. Iraq’s electricity sector is notorious for rampant corruption and embezzlement.