Gulfar Momammedali released from Oman jail

Muscat : One of Oman's richest Indian businessman, who had been serving time in jail in five graft cases, has been pardoned and released to mark Ramadan.

In March 2014, an Oman Court had sentenced P. Mohammad Ali, former managing director of Galfar Engineering and Contracting SAOG, to 15 years in jail and a fine of OMR1.7 million.

The verdict was part of cases involving corruption in the oil and gas sector. 

Five of the accused are officials from the gas sector of state-owned Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) who have been charged with accepting bribes, misuse of office, violating the protection of the public money law and the conflict of the interests.

The court also ordered deportation of two Galfar officials after completion of their sentence.

The case had then attracted international attention and the court was packed with foreign and local media persons, lawyers, legal advisers and some oil company officials.

Omanis had described it as historic moment, saying the verdicts have further reposed their faith in the independence and integrity of the Omani Judiciary.

Observers believed that issuing such verdicts will clean up many irregularities in the oil sector and to be a deterrent for those who plundering the country wealth for their own interests.