Swedish newspaper: Iraqi Defense Minister suffers from memory problems and accused of crimes
Swedish newspaper: Iraqi Defense Minister suffers from memory problems and accused of crimes
2019/11/20 9:30
Iraqi Defense Minister Najah al-Shammari holds Swedish citizenship and is registered in the Stockholm municipality.
In 2015, al-Shammari was suspected of involvement in insurance-related fraud, but the case was closed after a preliminary investigation, the website said. The following year, he was charged with a more serious crime, according to Akhbar al-Youm, which noted that the case was canceled the day before the trial for some reason and released.
The site highlighted doubts about al-Shammari, who in June became Iraq’s defense minister.
In Sweden, al-Shammari, 52, had “full-time sick leave” because of what he said were memory problems.
The Swedish Government pays allowances to people who cannot work because of disability.
Al-Shammari arrived in Sweden in 2009, and his family joined him three years later.He was granted Swedish citizenship in 2015.
A year ago, al-Shammari’s name appeared in government documents indicating that he did not understand simple Swedish despite his stay in the country for several years.
Akhbar al-Youm reported that the government had allocated Shammari and his family an apartment in a Stockholm suburb. The family had a modest income in 2013 and 2014, and he was paid a salary after being dismissed for satisfactory reasons.
During 2013, al-Shammari filed several requests for subsidies, but they were rejected, the website reported. But he and his family traveled to Iraq at least twice.
The preliminary investigation also indicates that his family was unable to provide answers to what Shammari was doing during those days, despite being on sick leave. He appeared to leave the house early and return late.
According to the site’s review, al-Shammari used a different name in Sweden than his name as Iraqi defense minister.
The website says that the indictment is in line with his autobiography published on the site of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, in which he was a military throughout his life, and was a general in the army and specialized in combating extremism and terrorism. He also holds several degrees in military and political science
alforatnews.com
