CBI Governor to face Parliamentary questioning after Pilgrimage amid mismanagement
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Mustafa Al-Karawi, a member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, announced that a request was made to the House of Representatives to schedule a session for questioning Ali Al-Alaq, the Central Bank (CBI) Governor, about various issues.
Al-Karawi told Shafaq News Agency that “the Committee had previously requested the Speaker of the House to interrogate the CBI Governor, concerning several key issues, including the dollar exchange rate and sales to travelers, the currency buying and selling window, money transfers abroad, monetary financing, American sanctions, and negotiations with the Federal Reserve.”
“We had initially planned to host the Central Bank Governor, but some House members requested to question him in the Council to follow legal procedures and activate oversight of government officials.”
Moreover, Al-Karawi said, “After the Arbaeen Pilgrimage, we will ask the Presidency of the House of Representatives to set a date for questioning the Governor in the House.”
On August 8, 2024, Hadi Al-Salami, a member of Iraq's Integrity Committee, disclosed that his committee has been investigating the prolonged appointment of Al-Alaq as CBI Governor for over a year.
Al-Salami told Shafaq News Agency that the committee had repeatedly urged Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to "terminate Al-Alaq's interim appointment due to numerous alleged violations," emphasizing that the government's agenda, as outlined by the PM during the formation of the government, mandates the termination of acting positions within six months. "Despite this, Al-Alaq continues to hold the position without any official action to end his appointment."
The Integrity Committee has referred several issues concerning the CBI to the Integrity Commission and the Public Prosecutor, including alleged mismanagement of exchange rates and concerns over substantial sums of money and benefits received by various Arab and foreign banks, including those from Jordan.
