ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s integrity commission on Sunday announced a seven-year prison sentence for a high-ranking oil ministry official over illicit enrichment of around $16.56 million, amid a sweeping government crackdown on corruption.

In a statement, the commission said the Central Criminal Court for Combating Corruption sentenced Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs Ali Ma'araj Suwaidij Tahir al-Bahadli to seven years in prison “for the crime of illicit enrichment.”

The body said that Bahadli collected illicit gains amounting to 4,732,840,000 Iraqi dinars, (around $16.56 million).  The court also ordered the confiscation of cash, gold jewelry, vehicles and real estate belonging to the convict.

Bahadli is “obligated to repay the value of the illicit gains and pay an equivalent fine,” with the two totaling 53 billion dinars, or around $40 million.

The arrest comes amid a renewed clampdown on corruption by the Iraqi government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

The anti-graft crackdown started in late June with a sweeping raid of Baghdad’s Green Zone, where much of the Iraqi government’s administrative nerve is concentrated. The raid saw the arrest of several high-ranking Iraqi officials.

By late July, Iraq had seized over $125 million and 380 kilograms of gold and jewelry hidden in various places in a corruption case involving Adnan al-Jumaili, the detained oil ministry undersecretary for refining affairs.

On Saturday, the premier directed the activation of a law rewarding corruption whistleblowers, tighter monitoring at border crossings, and the public exposure of corrupt individuals.