Al Emadi was appointed as Qatar’s Minister of Finance in June 2013, serving until his arrest in May 2021.

Qatar’s Criminal Court has sentenced the country’s former finance minister, Ali Sherif al-Emadi, to 20 years in prison for laundering more than $5.6 billion, reported Reuters, citing a document outlining the judgment.

Al-Emadi was arrested in May 2021 over allegations of embezzlement, abuse of power, and crimes related to the public sector.

The court also imposed an extensive fine exceeding 61 billion Qatari riyals (around $16.7 billion).

This amount includes double the laundered sum, along with additional fines.

Emadi’s charges included bribery, abuse of position and power, and damage to public funds, in addition to money laundering.

The investigation into Emadi was specific to his role as Finance Minister and did not relate to his other positions in the business community.

His arrest was part of a rare crackdown in the Gulf state, which analysts believe could signal a broader campaign to increase transparency and combat corruption.

Doha News has reached out to Qatar’s International Media Office for comment on the case.