Iraqi officials accused of corruption

The Iraqi Commission of Integrity (COI) said on Tuesday it had charged 50 ministers and 480 senior ranking officials with corruption as well as recovering and preventing the wasting of more than 4 trillion Iraqi dinars ($3.3 billion) over the past two years.

COI Chairman, Mazhar Turki, told reporters that the commission is based on the principle that corruption is corruption regardless of its size, or the person involved, stressing on the need to develop and scrutinise some anti-corruption laws to meet the needs of the situation in the country.

According to the Iraqi official, in 2019, the commission issued 13,649 corruption charges against 10,000 people including 50 ministers as well as 480 senior ranking officials.

He pointed out that the commission’s investigative and audit teams have identified irregularities in 2,736 projects, noting that the teams are currently investigating 644 of them, worth more than 5 trillion dinars ($6.5 billion).

Turki said the commission gives priority to complaints regarding public services, issues that concern public opinion or threaten the economy.