Three Australian men, including the father and uncle of a notorious Islamic State fighter, have pleaded guilty to bribing a foreign official to secure construction contracts.
In a brief hearing in the New South Wales Supreme Court, Mamdouh Elomar, 62, his brother Ibrahim, 60, and businessman John Jousif, 46, pleaded guilty to the charge, which occurred between July 2014 and February 2015.
At a previous hearing at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court last year, the men faced accusations of paying a $US1 million ($1.3 million) bribe to a foreign official to win contracts for their construction company Lifese in Iraq.
The court heard intercepted phone calls between the Elomars and Jousif indicating the Iraqi Government would not move forward with the contracts without a "payment".
Mamdouh Elomar is the father of Mohamed Elomar, who was killed fighting with IS in Iraq, however there is no suggestion the charges are linked to his son's association with the terrorist organisation.
In court today, defence barrister Greg James QC said there was much more work that needed to be completed prior to sentencing.
"[There is] still a great deal to be done in terms of firstly the prospect of an agreed statement of facts," he said.
"There is the prospect of evidence from Iraq whether in one form or another or whether that will be able to be agreed."
All three men remain on bail and the matter will return to court next week to allocate a date for sentencing.
