A member of Iraq's Parliamentary Integrity Committee, Hadi Al-Salami, revealed on Tuesday that over 300 reports regarding "suspicions of corruption" have been submitted, which involved 20 entities, including ministries and agencies. In an interview with "Baghdad Today," Al-Salami stated that "the fight against corruption is no less important than fighting ISIS and extremist ideas in Iraq," noting that "Iraq's treasury has lost trillions due to corruption mafias and the looting of public funds over the years through corrupt projects and deals."
He explained that "more than 300 official reports have been submitted to integrity and public prosecution departments since September 2022 until now, including 103 reports in 2023 covering more than 20 entities, among them agencies and ministries." He clarified that "the cases are under investigation, with some already pending in courts awaiting fair judicial decisions," pointing out that "the integrity and public prosecution are actively engaged and positively interacting with all reports and cases raised through evidence and proof that document dubious corruption deals."
Al-Salami confirmed that "land manipulation and its conversion are significant issues we are working to uncover, both in Najaf Ashraf Governorate and other governorates." On March 23, 2024, the Parliamentary Integrity Committee indicated the existence of political protection for some corruption operations across various state institutions, and directed a message to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
Committee member Basim Khashan stated to "Baghdad Today," that "there is political protection for some corruption activities and corrupt individuals, which is beyond doubt, hence we find it deeply embedded in all state institutions." Khashan emphasized that "Al-Sudani must disclose all corruption files and hold all corrupt individuals accountable, free from any political pressures, and he is capable of doing so," adding that "we don't believe he has reached a stage of incapacity in combating corruption, as there is still a significant opportunity before him to succeed in this issue, which is one of the main challenges facing his government."
