At a Glance

• The Iraqi Integrity Commission blocked the public auction of two undervalued state properties in Anbar, saving over 4.65 billion IQD in public funds.
• A Ramadi investigative judge ordered an immediate halt to all administrative procedures after a field team uncovered extensive violations.
• The operation is part of an intensifying anti-corruption crackdown by Iraqi Prime Minister.

The Iraqi Federal Integrity Commission has halted the public auction of two undervalued state properties in Anbar Governorate, preventing the squandering of more than 4.65 billion Iraqi dinars in public funds.

---

Key Statements and Focus

• The Integrity Commission stated that “it successfully halted the sale procedures of two real estate properties in Anbar Governorate at below market prices, indicating that its measures contributed to preventing the wastage of more than four and a half billion dinars of public funds.”
• The Commission explained that a field team from the Anbar Investigation Office uncovered valuation violations involving two state properties totaling 186 dunams that were scheduled to be sold via public auction.

---

The Federal Integrity Commission said in a statement on Sunday that its Anbar field team, which extended its probe to the provincial directorates of Real Estate Registration, Urban Planning, and Tax, monitored extensive valuation, registration, and tax regulatory violations, noting that a failure to accurately map the properties directly caused their undervaluation.

A Ramadi investigative judge specializing in integrity cases has blocked the public auction from going forward, instructing the Anbar State Real Estate Department to suspend all related administrative procedures.

An External Audit Division report revealed that the property valuation violated the Law on the Sale and Lease of State Funds No. 21 of 2013, despite being signed by an inter-agency inspection committee.

Consequently, the investigative judge ordered that official statements be recorded from the legal representatives of all involved state departments, including real estate registration, tax, and municipal authorities.

FYI

The halting of the 186-dunam public auction is part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown orchestrated by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and the Federal Integrity Commission to curb state property fraud. 

This ongoing campaign intensified following a sweeping mid-summer raid in Baghdad's Green Zone that targeted high-ranking Iraqi officials. 

In late August, investigators thwarted a major fraud scheme involving a 550-dunam plot in Ramadi’s future expansion area, which had been illicitly sold for 13.75 billion IQD instead of its true 33 billion IQD market value. 

Additionally, an early September field audit halted the auction of a prime 136-dunam Euphrates riverfront parcel where undervalued starting bids threatened a loss of 34.29 billion IQD. 

To permanently safeguard public assets, the premier has recently directed tighter state property monitoring alongside the activation of a law rewarding corruption whistleblowers. 

Dive Deeper: Handpicked Stories for You

Follow Channel8 for continuous updates:

Iraqi Interior Ministry Dismantles Pensioner Salary Theft Network

Federal Integrity Commission Dismantles 11-Member Banking Fraud Ring in Babel

Federal Integrity Commission Investigates Subsidized Fuel Smuggling From Kirkuk