At a Glance

• Iraq’s Integrity Commission detained two warehouse custodians at Maysan’s grain trading branch.

• Investigations revealed that 485 tons of paddy rice disappeared from storage facilities under the suspects' custody.

• Authorities seized a financial surcharge order holding the two employees liable for 126 million Iraqi dinars.

Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity announced the arrest of two warehouse custodians at the General Company for Grain Trading in Maysan Governorate following the disappearance of 485 tons of paddy rice, a loss valued at 126 million dinars in wasted public funds.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• The Commission stated that a field team from its Maysan Investigation Office deployed to the governorate’s grain trading branch after receiving intelligence regarding significant crop shortages that harmed public financial interests.

• Following audits and on-site verification, investigators confirmed that 485 tons of paddy rice had vanished from warehouses entrusted to the two employees' custody.

The team also seized internal investigative records, prior administrative penalties issued against the suspects, and a formal financial surcharge report holding them liable for 126 million Iraqi dinars.

According to the Commission, the specialized integrity judge at the Maysan Investigation Court ordered the two suspects placed in detention pursuant to Article 316 of the Iraqi Penal Code.

FYI

Article 316 of the Iraqi Penal Code addresses the unlawful appropriation or embezzlement of state funds and property by public officials, carrying strict prison sentences alongside mandatory financial restitution. 

The General Company for Grain Trading, operating under the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, oversees the procurement, storage, and distribution of strategic crops such as wheat and paddy rice across the country's governorates. 

In recent years, federal anti-corruption authorities have intensified audits of state grain silos and warehouses to curb inventory manipulation, spoilage, and the misappropriation of subsidized agricultural supplies.

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