In a significant effort to reclaim embezzled state funds, the Iraqi government, represented by spokesperson Haider Al-Abboudi, announced that authorities have received 26,000 reports of corruption amid an ongoing national campaign.
According to Al-Abboudi, in statements reported by local media, these whistleblower reports have played a crucial role in recovering 1 trillion and 359 billion dinars to the state treasury. This revelation came during a session conducted by the Integrity Commission, attended by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi.
Al-Abboudi emphasized that the 'Whistleblower Law' encourages citizens to report instances of corruption, offering rewards of up to 5% of the retrieved funds' value as an incentive.
Regarding the law's activation, he stated, "Fighting corruption requires partners; the government, alone without the Supreme Judicial Council, the Integrity Commission, audit authorities, and overall oversight mechanisms, along with citizens and employees, may find it challenging to advance this issue without this strategic partnership."
He continued, "The active role of whistleblowers is crucial to track down corrupt individuals and mitigate risks to public funds."
Al-Abboudi reiterated that the incentive for whistleblowers includes a potential 5% reward of the recovered amounts, noting the receipt of 26,000 such reports.
He stressed that Prime Minister Al-Zaidi has prioritized anti-corruption as a critical government agenda item, supporting the Integrity Commission’s operations and providing necessary momentum while assuring citizens that the matter is under close scrutiny from the highest executive authority in the state.
For weeks, Iraq has embarked on a major anti-corruption drive, which has successfully reclaimed tens of millions of dollars and large quantities of gold and valuable assets.