A Roscommon resident has been released by authorities in Iraq – after being locked up for more than four years, it has emerged.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris tonight revealed that Robert Pether – who is an Australian citizen but had been living in Elphin with his Irish family – was released on bail earlier today.
Mr Harris, who has been working to secure the engineer’s release for several months, said his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein contacted him to tell him of the development.
Construction engineer Mr Pether, 49, who is married to Desree Pether, 53, from Roscommon, has been locked up since April 2021.
The father-of-three was jailed over four years ago in a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq.
His distraught family in Ireland revealed Mr Pether, who previously had melanoma skin cancer, has a prostate that is "three times (the) normal size" and that he also has gallstones.
Mr Pether and an Egyptian colleague had been employed by a Dubai-based construction company, CME Consulting, to build a new Central Bank in Baghdad, when the contract row erupted.
They are accused of stealing money from the project, which they both deny. The United Nations has slammed his jailing as "arbitrary detention."
He was due to be released last January but Iraq issued new charges against them and he was facing a further 15 years in custody – until Mr Harris intervened earlier this year.
He was a free man tonight - although he must remain in Iraq for the meantime.
But the Tánaiste welcomed the decision to free him.
He said: "This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern.
"This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert’s wife, three children and his wider family and friends.
"Foreign Minister Hussein of Iraq, whom I spoke to last month to urge Robert’s release, called me this evening with the news. I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon."
The Tánaiste also said he had been in contact with Mrs Pether over the release – and said he was grateful to Irish diplomats who had worked on the case.
He said: "I also spoke this evening with Robert’s wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development.
"I want to thank Irish diplomatic officials based in the region for their continued work on this case.
"We remain concerned about Robert’s health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case."
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