Haaretz reports: A Palestinian court sentenced on Wednesday Palestinian lawmaker Mohammed Dahlan (pictured) to three years in prison after convicting him in absentia of stealing $16 million.
Dahlan left the West Bank for the United Arab Emirate in 2011 following a power struggle with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The former high-ranking Fatah official is considered one of the frontrunners to eventually replace 81-year-old Abbas.
The PA anti-corruption court found that Dahlan exploited his position as Security Affairs Coordinator in the PA President’s Office to embezzle approximately $16 million. The court also labeled Dahlan a fugitive from the justice system, and said he could therefore not appeal the ruling until he turns himself in. It also ordered him to pay a fine of $16 million.
Read more here.