Iraqi Integrity Committee summons 3 ministers on corruption allegations
Shafaq News/ Ziyad Al-Janabi, the head of the Parliamentary Integrity Committee, announced on Sunday that three ministers, including Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, will be summoned in upcoming sessions.
During a press conference, Al-Janabi stated that the committee had previously “issued formal inquiries regarding contracts related to the ministry, both under the current minister and his predecessors. However, no sufficient responses have been received.”
He emphasized that the committee's oversight will “extend to all ministries, including the Ministries of Interior, Oil, and Water Resources, among others,” underscoring that “the committee's strategy includes monitoring the activities of all ministries to ensure the preservation of public funds, with a strong focus on combating financial and administrative corruption, particularly within key administrative positions.”
The committee has identified instances of financial and administrative corruption within the Ministry of Oil and violations in the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, numerous infractions committed by various ministers, directors, and governors have been documented.
“To address these issues, the Integrity Committee has established subcommittees across all governorates to monitor government institutions and a special committee to oversee the Integrity Commission.” Al-Janabi also highlighted concerns about “favoritism within the Real Estate Bank, which is negatively impacting public funds.”
The committee intends to involve the Integrity Commission (CoI) and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit in investigations and reports related to corruption. Al-Janabi warned that “ministers who believe their violations have gone unnoticed will find themselves under the committee's scrutiny.”
Regarding the Ministry of Agriculture, Al-Janabi revealed that the committee has uncovered the distribution of land for partisan and electoral purposes. “The committee plans to conduct field visits to investigate this issue and hold those responsible accountable. Additionally, violations within the National Investment Commission have been identified, and the commission's chairman will be summoned this week to discuss these infractions and potentially refer them to the judiciary.”
Al-Janabi also mentioned that since the announcement of the budget, the committee has detected numerous violations, including “questionable practices by ministers, governors, and general directors.”
“The Minister of Finance will also be summoned soon to address some of these issues.”
In conclusion, he affirmed that the committee “will not show favoritism towards any individual or political party and will refer all cases to the judiciary based on its investigations.”
