DUBAI, UAE - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Tuesday dismissed Haider Hanoun from his position as head of Iraq’s Commission of Integrity on the same day he was scheduled to appear in court to face three legal cases.

A government source confirmed to The New Region that “Sudani approved Hanoun’s dismissal and appointed him as an advisor with special rank at the Ministry of Justice, citing his legal and judicial experience. The move followed a vote by the parliament.”

Hanoun’s dismissal coincides with his scheduled trial on Tuesday, before the Karkh Misdemeanor Court.

A judicial source said Hanoun faces three charges in that court, with two additional cases slated for the Karkh Criminal Court on Wednesday.

“There is a strong possibility of imprisonment,” the source said, noting the seriousness of the charges and the evidence supporting the allegations.

The legal troubles for Hanoun escalated earlier in October when the Karkh Investigation Court issued an arrest warrant based on audio recordings allegedly implicating him in bribery. The court began investigating Hanoun following a request in September from the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zidan.

In a September press conference in Erbil, Hanoun accused Judge Dhia Jaafar of the Karkh Investigation Court, which handles integrity cases, of detaining employees to damage his reputation. He also suggested the judge was covering up cases related to businessman Noor Zuhair - the main suspect in the infamous "Heist of the Century."

The Judicial Council rejected Hanoun's claims, describing them as “unfounded allegations” intended to mislead the public. The council noted that legal action had been initiated against Hanoun over a land dispute involving the Real Estate Registration Directorate in Maysan.

Hanoun's future remains uncertain as he continues to face five separate legal cases, with mounting evidence against him.