Shwan Al-Mulla, former owner of Iraqi Consultants & Construction Bureau (ICCB), was indicted earlier this year in Newark, NJ for a multi-million dollar bribery and conspiracy scheme to defraud the U.S. Government through several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reconstruction contracts. Al-Mulla, a UK national, is being charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery for his involvement in an Iraqi kickback scheme.
Through his company ICCB, Al-Mulla and several other co-conspirators were allegedly paying over one million dollars to USACE employee & Purple Heart recipient, John Alfy Salama Markus, to secure massive U.S. government contracts for reconstruction projects in Iraq. According to reporters at NJ.com these lucrative infrastructure deals totaled more than $37 million. The contracts, which date from March 2007 to 2009, allegedly included projects with oil refineries and the rebuilding of schools.
According to a Department of Justice press release, Salama Markus was involved “in the review and award process…and the administration, oversight, and modification of those contracts after they were awarded. 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.”
In March 2013, Salama Markus pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud, money laundering and tax offenses, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Meanwhile, Al-Mulla remains at large, though if found guilty could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 5 years for bribery in addition to a heavy monetary fine.
If you have been accused of involvement with a wire fraud or bribery scheme, it’s important to speak with a defense attorney who has several years of experience working in the Department of Justice. To set up a consultation with Padula Law, please call (305) 455-5206.
