This week, we highlight the case of Ali Sherif al-Emadi, a former Finance Minister of the Gulf Arab state, of Qatar, who was sentenced for bribery, abuse of position, damage to public funds, and money laundering.

Emadi and Sheikh Nawaf were found guilty on January 10, 2024, of bribery, abuse of position, damage to public funds, and money laundering. Emadi was arrested in May 2021 and was fired from his position as the minister of finance. He was accused of laundering more than USD 5.6Bn. Sheikh Nawaf, a high-ranking member of Qatar’s ruling family and the brother of Qatar’s former prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, used to be the chairman of Katara Hospitality, the hotel arm of QIA. Katara Hospitality owns several reputable hotels, including London’s Savoy and New York’s Plaza. They also developed the USD 6 Bn Katara Towers hotel project in Qatar. However, Sheikh Nawaf is no longer associated with Katara Hospitality.