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Iraq issues arrest warrants for 58 officials on corruption charges

April 21, 2021 at 11:17 am

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in Ankara, Turkey on December 17, 2020 [Ali Balıkçı/Anadolu Agency]

Iraq’s Commission on Public Integrity (CPI) on Monday announced the issuance of arrest warrants and summons against 58 current and former officials accused of corruption.

The CPI said in a statement: “The judiciary issued eight arrest warrants and 50 summons against current and former officials last March.”

“Arrest warrants have been issued against a deputy in the Iraqi parliament, a former MP, a former minister, and a former ministry undersecretary,” it added.

The statement indicated that the arrest and detention orders included current and former governors, as well as 25 executive directors of state institutions, including current and former officials, in addition to several government employees who were appointed to temporarily fill vacant posts.

The statement noted that 22 members of local councils and others are also wanted by the authorities.

The CPI did not mention the names of the concerned parties or the charges brought against them, stating only that they have been involved in corruption cases.

OPINION: Iraq and the fight against corruption

In February 2020, the CPI announced the issuance of 82 summons and arrest warrants against former and current ministers and their subordinates, in addition to summoning 624 executive directors during 2020.

Last August, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi formed a special committee to investigate major corruption files, and assigned the tasks of implementing arrest warrants to the special force headed by the prime minister.

According to Transparency International, Iraq is among the most corrupt countries in the world.