Integrity Commission Launches Major Diwaniyah Corruption Operation
At a Glance
- Federal Commission of Integrity has launched a nationwide anti-corruption campaign.
- More than 60 politicians arrested, around 837 billion Iraqi dinars and over $550 million recovered.
- Around 30 officials and employees targeted.
- 15 employees and 3 contractors arrested.
- More than 9 billion dinars in suspected fraudulent payments.
Iraq's Commission of Integrity has launched a major anti-corruption operation in Diwaniyah, issuing around 30 arrest and search warrants against current and former municipal officials over allegations of bribery, embezzlement, ghost projects, and misuse of public funds.
Key Statements and Focus Area
- Around 30 arrest and search warrants were issued for current and former Diwaniyah Municipality officials.
- Authorities said 15 employees and three contractors have been arrested during the operation.
- Investigators seized documents linked to more than 9 billion Iraqi dinars in disbursement vouchers, along with official stamps, luxury vehicles, and cash.
- The Commission of Integrity said investigations remain ongoing, adding that "the corruption was far more extensive than previously suspected."
Senior Municipal Officials Among Those Targeted
The Iraqi Commission of Integrity announced that approximately 30 arrest and search warrants have been issued for officials and employees within the Diwaniyah Municipality.
Those facing legal action include five former municipality directors, the current municipality director, six officials from the accounting and auditing departments, and the current accounting director of the governorate.
The suspects are accused of bribery, profiteering from government contracts, and theft of public funds.
According to the Commission, an investigative team from the Integrity Investigation Office, working alongside the "Saqr" (Falcon) Intelligence Cell, arrested 15 employees and three contractors.
The suspects are accused of supplying materials to the municipality at prices significantly above market value and preparing fabricated cost sheets for projects that allegedly never existed.
Investigators said the non-existent projects were recorded as completed in order to divert public funds.
During the operation, authorities seized a large number of disbursement vouchers with a total value exceeding 9 billion Iraqi dinars.
Teams also confiscated official stamps belonging to auditing, accounting, and purchasing committees that investigators allege were used in forgery.
In addition, luxury vehicles and large amounts of cash allegedly accumulated by the suspects were seized.
After reviewing the evidence, the integrity investigative judge ordered the detention of all arrested suspects.
The judge also imposed travel bans on several members of the Diwaniyah Provincial Council over their alleged links to the suspected corruption network.
The Commission of Integrity said efforts are continuing to arrest additional suspects who remain at large.
It added that statements from detained suspects have generated new investigative leads, indicating the alleged corruption network may be larger than initially believed and may have caused significant damage to public service infrastructure across the governorate.
FYI
The Iraqi Federal Commission of Integrity, as part of the broader Operation Dawn crackdown, has launched an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign through late-night raids that led to the arrest of between 47 and 67 high-ranking political figures, including at least 12 members of parliament whose legal immunity was revoked.
Beyond the initial arrests, joint federal and SWAT forces have dismantled multi-billion-dinar corruption networks within state institutions, including Rafidain Bank, while coordinating with Kurdistan Region authorities to prevent suspects from using the region as a safe haven.
The ongoing operation has enabled the Iraqi Federal Commission of Integrity (FCoI) to recover and preserve more than $1.2 billion in assets, comprising 837 billion Iraqi dinars and over $550 million, much of it linked to the network of former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili.
Authorities also seized kilograms of gold and commercial properties concealed inside private homes, drainage pits, and fraudulently registered companies.
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