ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Olympic committee has announced the temporary withdrawal of its president, Aqeel Meften, who was recently sanctioned by the US Treasury for alleged involvement in illicit financial operations, including laundering “tens of millions of dollars for Iran.”
In a late-night statement on Friday, the National Olympic Committee of Iraq (NOCI) said Meften’s duties have been transferred to First Vice President Abd al-Salam Khalaf, who is now “authorized to temporarily oversee all Olympic affairs until the case [of Meften] is resolved.”
The committee said the measure was taken “in a spirit of responsibility and out of keenness to protect the trajectory of Iraqi sports from any legal issues or obstacles.”
The NOCI added that the move came at Meften’s request, noting that he has “assigned a specialized team of lawyers to follow up on his case with the US Treasury,” denouncing reports surrounding the issue as “fabrications intended to distort the truth and cause confusion.”
In early October, the US imposed sanctions on three Iraqis accused of using their positions to “generate revenue and launder money” for Kata’ib Hezbollah - a powerful Iran-aligned Shiite armed group that operates under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The sanctioned individuals included Aqeel Meften and his brother Ali Meften.
“For decades, the Meften brothers have laundered tens of millions of dollars for Iran, smuggled oil and drugs, and abused Aqeel Meften’s position as president of Iraq’s National Olympic Committee to engage in corruption,” the Treasury said at the time.