July 15, 2020
RLC members Gillian Jones QC and Faras Baloch (together with Michael Brompton QC and Thomas Daniel) successfully prosecuted three Unaoil executives in one of the largest corruption cases ever brought by the SFO. In the years after the fall of Saddam Hussein the three men: Basil Al Jarah, Ziad Akle and Stephen Whiteley conspired with others to pay bribes to the project manager of Iraq’s South Oil Company. In addition Al Jarah conspired to bribe senior officials in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. Their purpose was to secure contracts with the government of Iraq worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The trial began on 20 January 2020 at Southwark Crown Court but was then adjourned in March for 2 months due the coronavirus pandemic.
It was the first trial in England to resume after the Covid19 lockdown restrictions were lifted and was completed at the Old Bailey in July 2020.