Iraq's state audit offices face scrutiny over oversight role
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Federal Board of Supreme Audit offices stationed across Iraq’s ministries, state institutions and government banks have “failed to perform their oversight duties effectively,” with some accused of concealing corruption cases, an informed source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.
The source alleged that some audit offices had “failed to detect or report financial and administrative violations” per legal procedures, calling on parliament to conduct a comprehensive review of their performance and compliance with their oversight responsibilities.
The review should examine whether audit offices properly handled suspected corruption cases and investigate any instances of negligence or alleged collusion in withholding information related to public funds. The source also called for legal action against any official found, following an investigation, to have concealed corruption cases or received financial benefits in exchange for “failing to perform official duties.”
Shafaq News was unable to obtain immediate comment from the Federal Board of Supreme Audit.
On Tuesday, Iraq's parliament began debating the Federal Board of Supreme Audit's 2025 annual report on the institution's role in combating corruption, in the presence of the board's president and senior officials.
Iraq launched the ongoing anti-corruption campaign, Dawn Crackdown (Sawlat Al-Fajr), on June 28. The campaign has targeted current and former officials, lawmakers and business figures, while authorities have announced preparations for a second phase focusing on corruption cases in the health, oil and electricity ministries, alongside efforts to trace assets inside and outside Iraq.
Read more: Iraq's Dawn Crackdown by numbers: 67 arrests explained
