Al-Kazemi: they are serious about fighting corruption, and a serious investor will find support and protection

by **claud39** Tue Jul 14, 2020 1:03 pm

Al-Kazemi: they are serious about fighting corruption, and a serious investor will find support and protection

[rtl]Tuesday 14 July 2020 | [/rtl]

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Irq_2035118976_1594741452

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Irq_2035118976_1594741452

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi confirmed today, Tuesday, that the government is serious about fighting corruption, indicating that a serious investor will receive support and protection .

Al-Kazemi said that "relying on oil is a failed experiment," noting that "the lack of funds is due to mismanagement and the absolute dependence on oil policy ."

He added: "We have a plan to reform the financial and administrative system to free itself from oil slavery," stressing: "They are serious about fighting the corrupt ."

Al-Kazemi continued: "The serious investor will receive support and protection from the government. We have an interest in farmers and we are trying to pay the farmers' dues in full and we have a plan to support the farmers."

https://aynaliraqnews.com/index.php?aa=news&id22=136289

by **claud39** Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:04 pm

Parliamentary integrity reveals the corruption files that you follow in some ministries

23/07/2020

Economy News - Baghdad

The Parliamentary Integrity Committee said it is following many corruption files related to the various ministries, as well as other files on licensing rounds, the ratification of bills and oil contracts, and the renewal of "mobile" licenses.

Committee member Jawad Hamdan said in a press statement that "there are many corruption files referred by the committee to the Public Prosecution and Prosecution Authority, and so far no action has been taken on them, including files belonging to the ministries of industry, oil, tourism and antiquities."

He added, "He submitted to the Integrity Commission approximately 15 files on corruption cases, in addition to three files related to the Ministry of Transport."

He pointed out that "the parliamentary committee has many old corruption files from previous sessions, and many of the files are the work of deputies in person, and there are files for the committee in general, which it adopted and formed sub-committees to follow up on."

And he added, "Among the corruption files that the Integrity Committee sub-committees follow are: corruption files in licensing rounds, certification of oil invoices and contracts, and the Petroleum Projects Company, and others at the level of ministries, such as the Ministry of Transport and Electricity, and in border crossings, in addition to corruption files in the Ministry of Defense, renewal of licenses For mobile phone. "

He pointed out that "the size of the accumulated corruption files in the Parliamentary Integrity Committee is not commensurate with the ability of the committee to open all these files, because corruption is not stopping at this session in order to reopen the files that were identified by the committee in previous sessions."

The committee member stressed "the necessity of developing plans for this committee that would be the true eye of the state at the level of all ministries, with the presence of specialized cadres of employees of those ministries, including legal, accountants and auditors, and by providing these procedures, the Integrity Committee will be able to play its true role correctly."

http://economy-news.net/content.php?id=21141

by **claud39** Tue Aug 04, 2020 9:41 am

Al-Kazemi soon refers the Minister of Transport for investigation

2020-08-04

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Shafaq News / Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi decided today, Tuesday, to relieve one of the relatives of the Minister of Transport and the director of Iraqi Airways from their posts and to refer to the investigation due to the incident of a late flight to Beirut last week .

A spokesman for Prime Minister Ahmed Mulla Talal said, in a press conference held today, and attended by a reporter of the Twilight News, that "the incident of the plane delay to Lebanon was the focus of great attention from the Prime Minister," noting that "the appointment of Airlines Director Ali Mohsen It was in breach of Diwani's order to restrict these positions to the Prime Minister . "

Mulla Talal said, "The Prime Minister directed the termination of the assignment of the director of Iraqi Airways, the termination of the appointment of an employee of the relatives of the Minister of Transport, Ahmed Al Bandar, and his referral to the investigation because of the 55-minute flight delay, as it is a form of corruption and abuse of position."

Shafak News below publishes the Prime Minister’s decision to exempt the new Director General of Iraqi Airways due to the plane plane delayed flight to Lebanon.

Activists on social media circulated a video showing the delay of a flight to take off due to a local official and his family, while the authorities directed an investigation into the incident .

According to the passenger’s comment, the plane took two hours to take off in a hot summer environment, while cars were photographed from the window’s windows that entered the airport and a number of people got off, saying that they were from the family of a responsible man, without mentioning his identity. On board an Iraqi Airways plane, which is parked at Baghdad International Airport before it takes off to the Lebanese capital, Beirut .

The passenger expressed her strong dissatisfaction with the officials' insults towards the citizens .

The Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement received by Shafaq News, that it "regrets the delay of passengers on Iraqi Airways flight number IA131 flying from Baghdad to Beirut ."

The authority distanced itself from the delay, saying, "The Civil Aviation Authority and Baghdad International Airport are not the reason for the delay, but it is out of concern for the safety of travelers and respect for flight times. I issued an ultimatum to the company responsible for managing the businessmen and personalities lounge ."

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https://shafaaq.com/ar/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B8%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82

by **claud39** Tue Aug 04, 2020 9:59 am

The prime minister issues directives regarding the ministers who have failed to disclose their financial accounts

04/08/2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B8%D9%85%D9%8A-2-696x464

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 %D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B8%D9%85%D9%8A-2-696x464

The information / Baghdad ..

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi directed the ministers who had failed to disclose their financial receivables to present him as soon as possible with integrity.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Ahmed Mulla Talal, said at a conference that "the attack on the event does not represent the security establishment and it is an individual behavior."

He added, “The Prime Minister directed the termination of the assignment of an employee of the relatives of the Minister of Transport and his referral to the investigation because of the flight delay and the full and complete adherence to the timing of flights and according to the scheduled schedules.

He pointed out that "the Prime Minister directed to allocate an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers to find appropriate solutions for the next academic year." 25 h has ended

https://www.almaalomah.com/2020/08/04/488334/

by **claud39** Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:52 am

Al-Kazemi rebukes the Minister of Transport and dismisses the director of Iraqi Airways, due to the delay in the departure of the plane heading to Beirut

04/08/2020

Economy News - Baghdad:

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi, Minister of Transport Nasser al-Shibli, rebuked, after the Iraqi Airways flight, in take-off, was delayed.

Al-Kazemi issued several decisions, including canceling the assignment of the director of Iraqi Airways, Ali Mohsen Hashem, the return of the former director, opening an investigation with the director of the Baghdad station, Qahtan Mahmoud, and ending the assignment of the person who caused the delay of the plane, Ahmed Assem Hussein Al-Bandar.

It is noteworthy that Iraq has many cases of aircraft delays and non-compliance with deadlines, as the son of former Transport Minister Hadi al-Amiri returned a plane belonging to the Lebanese Middle East because of his delay and the Ministry of Transport issued a decision not to land only after bringing Ibn al-Amiri to Baghdad.

Here is the text of the document.

https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=21274

by **claud39** Wed Aug 05, 2020 2:04 pm

[size=41]A deputy reveals threats to private investment owners[/size]

hours ago

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Today, Wednesday, Al-Diwaniyah's deputy, Ali Al-Budeiri, revealed that the owners of private investment projects are subject to threats by some influential and saboteurs behind whom internal and external agendas seek to sabotage and hit the local economy and product.

Al-Badiri said in a press statement seen by "Progress", that "private sector projects that have achieved self-sufficiency and progress in the productive areas of the country, today are subjected to an organized attack, especially in Diwaniya, by influential mafias that deal with the road sector and are supported by external and internal parties and threatening the owners of those projects." Close their projects or sabotage them unless special royalties are paid to them. ”

He continued, "The owners of those projects are appealing to Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi through us to send an investigation team urgently to find out the details of these threats, and we are fully prepared to cooperate with the dispatching team to follow up these mafias and protect the owners of private productive projects."

Al-Badiri added, “These mafias strive with full force to strike the Iraqi economy in a cheap attempt to keep the country captive to other countries.” He stressed the importance of Al-Kazemi’s neglect of these appeals and attaching it to urgent and urgent importance to its gravity, which is no less dangerous than what took place with the toxicity of the fish wealth. ”

https://takadum-news.com/%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%a8-%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%b4%d9%81-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d8%aa%d9%87%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%b6-%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a7-%d8%a3%d8%b5%d8%ad%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84/

by **claud39** Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:22 pm

[size=30]"Thieving Rulers" .. An American newspaper reveals, by names, the scenes of corruption in Iraq[/size]

5 hours ago

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[size=15]Digital Media NRT[/size]

[size=15]The New York Times published its important report on kleptocracy, or the rule of thieves in Iraq, after translating it into Arabic, and as "Digital Media NRT" publishes the full text of the report, it reaffirms that publishing comes under the heading of the citizen's right to obtain information, and a commitment From us with our media message ...[/size]

[size=15]On a large scale, excerpts from the important report published by Robert F. Worth on (29 July 2020) after he prepared it in the field during his stay in Baghdad, during which he revealed very dangerous information documented with names and numbers and testimonies of witnesses and contributors to the event, as well as senior participants, as well as The report reveals the contamination of the hands of parties, parties and factions in the systematic plunder of state resources, not to mention the mafia methods. [/size]

[size=15]The report says that Iraq is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world. A tale of how the simplest corruption can quickly turn into a scourge and how difficult it is to restore conditions. It will not take long for the dust of time to cover those involved in networks of corruption, as it did in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Venezuela. It's becoming a self-sustaining system, says Richard Mesk, who has spent decades studying the topic. It is not possible to intervene in one sector only because all sectors are related to each other, so several institutions must be changed simultaneously.[/size]

[size=15]Below is the text of the report:[/size]

[size=15]Within the bureaucratic thief regime in Iraq[/size]

[size=15]Written by: Robert F. Worth[/size]

[size=15]The New York Times[/size]

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[size=15]Corruption, like violence, has become an impossible reason to live in Iraq. It has helped fuel the rise of ISIS, and America has provided at least $ 10 billion in hard currency annually that is used to fuel corruption. [/size]

[size=15]In early October, while he was working in his office in Baghdad, businessman Hussein Lakkis received a phone call from an unknown number. "We need to speak," the caller said. The man's voice was hoarse and his tone was threatening. The judge asked to meet, but refused to reveal his name . [/size]

[size=15]Lakis hesitated and raised his objection, and then the call ended. He almost forgot this conversation, but after a few minutes, one of his colleagues called him to convey disturbing news to him. The mysterious caller belongs to Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia closely linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and the caller had an offer he would like to discuss . [/size]

[size=15]When the militia man called again, the Lakkis agreed to meet him after hesitation, and he accompanied a group of his comrades and went to a house on Saadoun Street in the center of the capital Baghdad, and they arrived by Morocco. The Lakkis was taken to a dark office inside the house, and introduced to a small-brown, bald-headed man . [/size]

[size=15]The man got into the matter directly, saying, “You have to work with us, and you have no other choice. You can keep your cadre of employees, but you must do what we say, ”explaining that Kataib Hezbollah will receive 20 percent of Lakis' total revenue, which is 50 percent of his profits . [/size]

[size=15]Lakis refused this request. His company - called Palm Jet - has a five-year government contract to manage the VIP lounge at Baghdad International Airport, in addition to a hotel near the airport. The company also works regularly with some Western aircraft manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martin. Therefore, it was not possible for Lakis to do any deals with a group such as Kataib Hezbollah, which is classified by the US government as a foreign terrorist organization (as is the case also with the Lebanese Hezbollah group). The bald man said that he would confiscate all that the Lakkis owned in Baghdad if this request was refused. The Lakkis looked at him in astonishment and said: I am an investor..There is a law that protects me! The bald man replied: We are the law. Then he asked the judge to give him a response by noon the next day . [/size]

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[size=15]Five Chevrolet SUVs stood outside the VIP lounge the next afternoon, and then twelve men, dressed in black militia uniforms, got out, heavily armed. They found the Lakkis sitting in the airport hotel café, smoking and drinking coffee. Since last night, the Lakkis has been making phone calls to all his government acquaintances and with the airport department managers. Nobody had called him back, in a way that everyone seemed to have been threatened or possibly bribed. The militiamen took Lakis' phone and asked him to sign a document renouncing the contract. He tried to delay for a while, and in the meantime one of his employees sneaked outside to take a picture of the militia's cars, but they caught him, smashed his phone and hit him . [/size]

[size=15]Lakkis, a Lebanese citizen, had started working in Iraq since 2011, and he knew that the country was burdened with crime and corruption, but he believed that the airport, which is teeming with hundreds of security and immigration officials, had a different situation . [/size]

[size=15]Later, the Lakkis told me that he waited 20 minutes for perhaps one of the policemen to come, but in the end he walked to the departures hall and boarded a flight to Dubai. Several days later, Kataib Hezbollah appointed another contractor to replace Lakis, who has not returned to Iraq since . [/size]

[size=15]This raid took place at the airport four days after the outbreak of the anti-Iraqi government protests, as thousands of young protesters poured into the streets of Baghdad and other cities chanting their famous and moving slogan, "We want a homeland." Soon the demonstrators took control of Tahrir Square, in the heart of Baghdad, and set up tents and started confrontations with the police. Although the chaos disrupted commercial and government work, it won the sympathy of Arabs in the region, and acted as the fuse that ignited the protest movement in Lebanon. For these protesting masses, groups such as Kataib Hezbollah are not only proxy agents of Iran, they are also the new face of bureaucratic thieves' rule that have gained their wealth at the expense of Iraq's youth, whose numbers have increased in poverty and unemployment. At the same time, some militia leaders have become among the richest men in Iraq, famous for buying restaurants, fancy nightclubs and abundant farms along the banks of the Tigris River . [/size]

[size=15]Those who supported and empower these militias are the new Iraqi political class that only seeks wealth. These multi-sectarian gangs have for many years practiced fraud at all levels, including constant control of checkpoints, bank fraud, and circumvention of the government payroll system. When Adel Abdul Mahdi came to power in 2018, to the extent that he was welcomed as a potential reformer, he tried to bring the militias into the state, but they outdid him and took control of him. His government included people with links to one of the worst graft networks that plagued the country . [/size]

[size=15]Suit...[/size]

[size=15]https://www.nrttv.com/Ar/News.aspx?id=30168&MapID=2
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by **claud39** Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:25 pm

Suit...

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[size=15]The United States is deeply involved in all this, not only because of its successive invasion that has shattered the country and its economy, but it is also providing funds that help keep the situation as it is, while US officials regardless of what their Iraqi allies do to serve their own interests. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York still provides Iraq with at least $ 10 billion annually in hard currency oil sales. Much of this money is passed on to commercial banks under the pretext of being used for import operations, as part of a scheme that was controlled for a long time by money laundering gangs. At the same time, the United States is applying sanctions on Iran and Syria, with which Iraq shares porous borders, which creates an ideal environment for corruption . [/size]

[size=15]The administration of President Donald Trump may have shocked the Iraqi militias by the unexpected assassination of the powerful Iranian intelligence chief, Qassem Soleimani, while he was at Baghdad airport in January of 2020. But Iran's allies such as the Hezbollah Brigades are not worried, as they know President Trump is not It is recommended to go to war, especially in light of the increasing government budget deficit caused by the Corona pandemic. So their top priority is preserving an Iraqi system in which everything is salable . [/size]

[size=15]The Corona pandemic has pushed Iraq to the brink of an existential crisis, as the collapse in global demand for oil lowered its price and thus shocked this country whose economy depends almost entirely on oil revenues. However, this may present an unprecedented opportunity for the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, to confront the biggest dilemma in the country. Corruption can now be considered a matter of life and death: Iraq must choose between feeding its people or enriching its thieves. Al-Kazemi promised to face this challenge, but it may not succeed unless the United States seizes this opportunity to repair some of the damage it has caused in Iraq and join the demonstrators with their goals of rebuilding their homeland on new foundations . [/size]

[size=15]Corruption in the US diplomatic record has always had a vague meaning: it is publicly reprehensible, but it is ignored in reality, and is even considered an inevitable evil. The United States has a long history of supporting kleptocrats (thief rulers) who have long been on the side of any strategic political rival. However, the price of these deals, which is usually in blood, has led to a reassessment of the situation. “Corruption is not only a fundamental political dilemma, it is the biggest cause of the security problems we have to face,” Sarah Chase told me in May. Chase's book, published in 2015 under the title "State Thieves," documents the devastating impact of corruption in several countries in Africa and Asia . [/size]

[size=15]She based her book on her experience in Afghanistan, where she lived for years before she became a consultant to the Pentagon and saw how the massive blackmail of the US-backed government drove people to fall into the arms of the Taliban . [/size]

[size=15]Iraq can be considered a lesson and a clear example in this respect. Corruption in the 1980s was rare, and most of Saddam’s totalitarian regime ministers were honest and well watched. The transformation occurred during the 1990s when the United Nations imposed sanctions following Saddam's invasion of Kuwait. During a period of seven years, the average per capita income fell to 450 dollars from 3500 dollars. With low living wages, government officials could not live without taking the bribes that have become daily currency. The situation worsened after 2003, as American officers began handing in bundles of $ 100 in attempts to create friendships and stimulate the Iraqi economy. Their intentions were good during that period, but their haste was disastrous. A group of opportunists, including Iraqis returning from abroad, lined up to win large government contracts.. [/size]

[size=15]After ISIS seized control of northwestern Iraq in 2014, the 350,000-strong army came to the defense, which is the largest of the jihadist brigades. In reality, however, the army was robbed of its power by inventing "ghost soldiers" that did not actually exist, allowing the commanders to embezzle hundreds or even thousands of salaries. These actions destroyed morale within the army and civilians in Mosul became angry, especially those who became more accepting of ISIS only for this reason. A study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative found that people of Mosul believed that corruption was the main factor in the emergence of ISIS . [/size]

[size=15]The process of calculating what was stolen from Iraq is not easy, as the deals were concluded in cash and it became difficult to obtain documents proving them, and government statistics are usually inaccurate. Nevertheless, the available information indicates that the wealth of Iraq was unlawfully plundered outside the country than any other country. This is what a senior statesman, who has long experience in financial matters, indicated that he had collected classified assessments for the Atlantic Council, an American research institution, based on his conversations with bankers, investigators and sources in a number of foreign countries. It was concluded that sums ranging from $ 125 to $ 150 billion are currently in the hands of Iraqis abroad, and that these people obtained most of these funds through illegal means. Some estimates put this amount at $ 300 billion. He has indicated that approximately $ 10 billion of the stolen money has been invested in London real estate.. [/size]

[size=15]For non-Iraqis, Iraqi political life may sound like a guerrilla war, but most of the time it takes place under the cover of this conflict thefts are calm. In every government ministry, corruption lies in unwritten agreements with a faction. The Sadrists have the Ministry of Health and the Badr Organization as long as they have controlled the interior, while the wisdom movement controls the oil. Usually some newcomers have difficulty coping with these situations. One of the former technocratic ministers who spent decades abroad discovered when he took office that the ministry was contracting to buy vaccines worth $ 92 million, but he found another way to buy the same vaccine worth $ 15 million. He told me, "When I did, a campaign was launched against me." He was trying to bridge the gap between Iraq's oil wealth and a crumbling health system, while his opponents were only interested in their partisan interests. The minister eventually found that these two philosophies could not go together, so he resigned from his position.) [/size]

[size=15]The political leaders controlling this process are well known. Some of them are allies of America, such as the Barzani and Talabani families, who controlled the contracts of this region and its central bank until they became very wealthy. There is al-Maliki and his allies who still dominate the political scene, and Muqtada al-Sadr, a fickle Shiite cleric, who is also another godfather whose followers are known for asking for bribes. The system should have been remedied in 2014 when ISIS nearly took control of the country. Instead, the result was the emergence of a new type of parasite: the militias that helped defeat ISIS, commonly known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, a loose federation of armed groups, some of which had existed for decades. In 2016, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi recognized them as part of the security forces, and they now receive regular salaries, like the rest of the army and security services. One of the most powerful of these factions is the Hezbollah Brigades, which is accused of launching an attack on an Iraqi air base in December, and that killed an American contractor and led, a week later, to the assassination of Soleimani, who is its main sponsor. Although it is famous, it is shrouded in mystery. "We know almost nothing about its leadership," says Michael Knights, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has tracked the group since its founding. It is more like Freemasonry. One of them can belong to it and be in another movement at the same time[/size]

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[size=15]It has built an economic empire for itself by storming into legitimate businesses and government contracts . [/size]

[size=15]One of the least known and dangerous things that this militia did was its gradual takeover of Baghdad airport. This began years ago when Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, also backed by Iran, appointed loyal employees at the airport, according to a senior official there. They were also able to recruit employees for G4SIt is a British company that has long been contracted to manage airport security (the company did not comment on this topic). As a result, these two militias have access to surveillance cameras at the airport as well as access to a road called one kilometer that connects the runways to the perimeter of the airport, bypassing the security barriers, the official told me. (Qassem Soleimani and his convoy were bombed by a US drone last January when they were on this road.) The activities of these militias have become more hostile for a year, according to the official, as their affiliates threatened the director of the Civil Aviation Authority and forced him to appoint a deputy from his loyalists. In late October, one of the companies affiliated with the Hezbollah Brigades obtained a 12-year contract at the airports of Baghdad and Basra worth millions of dollars per year despite the fact that this company called the Gulf did not exist for more than two months at that time, and did not have the necessary licenses. Its founder had been banned from working at the airport. The contract has since been suspended, but the company that took over the VIP lounge and the hotel from Hussein Lakkis is still in place.. [/size]

[size=15]Baghdad airport is only one of the economic outlets that the militias now control, and they used the pretext of ISIS to have headquarters on most of the country's borders, as they exploited the threat of ISIS to install themselves in most of the land borders. Militias have dominated trade through seaports in the south for more than a decade, and in fact the militias play the role of a surrogate country in the shadows, as they impose higher wages on importers in order to speed up the delivery of goods. They have economic committees and offices in Baghdad with whom private companies can make deals that bypass the legal channels of the country. For example, an airport official told me that if he imports 100 cars from Dubai, it will take two months for legal customs clearance, but if he pays Kataib Hezbollah $ 10 to $ 15,000, this process will only take two days . [/size]

[size=15]The main source of currency that contributed to Iraq's slide toward bureaucratic thieves' rule is the Federal Reserve Bank, located in East Ratherford, New Jersey, where it is heavily guarded. Almost every month, a truck comes packed with more than 10 tons of US currency, worth between $ 1 and $ 2 billion. The money is later transferred to an air base and then to Baghdad. These sums go to the Iraqi government as a rent to sell the oil through a bank account with the New York Federal Bank. This unusual agreement is only one of the consequences of the American occupation when it directly controlled the Iraqi government and its sources of funding. This situation has remained as it is because it is convenient for both parties. The Iraqis receive dollars in a privileged manner while the United States remains dominant in the Iraqi economy. Dollar shipments that are sent periodically (which constitute a small portion of the country's total oil revenues) meet the needs of Iraqi currency exchange offices and importers who need hard currency. But in practice, much of these sums went into the hands of money launderers, terrorist groups and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and this is due to a special procedure at the Central Bank that few know about, which is the so-called dollar auction. [/size]

[size=15]The dollar auction is known as the "sewage system for Iraqi corruption," but little has been written about its internal mechanisms. The fraud schemes surrounding it have long fueled the civil war in Syria, including the war with ISIS. The US Treasury has done its best to keep dollar auctions out of the hands of ISIS and Iran, but has often overlooked other types of money laundering. As long as terrorists find new companies and ways to hide their participation in the auction, this often occurs with the complicity of central bank officials . [/size]

[size=15]Even calling it an auction is misleading, as it is a daily process in which the Central Bank offers dollars to a limited number of commercial banks in exchange for the Iraqi dinar. The US occupation authorities established it in 2003 to serve two purposes: to collect enough Iraqi dinars to pay salaries in cash for the huge number of government employees and to help the country pay import dues in dollars. Essentially, it is analogous to the process that some countries undertake to facilitate foreign trade. The main objective of this process is the following: A company intends to import shoes from India and then goes to a local Iraqi bank with the invoice of the Indian company, and the bank approves the banking process and deposits the required amount in Iraqi dinars with the central bank, which in turn transfers the amount in dollars to a bank account owned by the entity exporting . [/size]

[size=15]The problem started with the accumulation of large sums of dirty money: Iraqis who stole huge sums through fake contracts or bribes were eager to exchange dinars for dollars so that they could use them abroad. To meet this need, a new class of opportunists has emerged, registering shell companies and preparing the false invoices necessary to conclude the import deal, which will be financed later through the dollar auction. In just days, a person who defrauded his country by the millions could become the owner of a luxury home in London. As for the fake imported materials, they will not leave much traces, because they were documented with identification cards and pictures of real people who agreed to play the role of company officials in exchange for bribes . [/size]

[size=15]Suit...[/size]

by **claud39** Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:27 pm

Suit...

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 117314245_654344125172097_5571264481101608845_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_eui2=AeEc-nOdNEHpg6l6nvSY-H5an_R3QTv1fpGf9HdBO_V-kVI8V9lvFogVzUsxxkWEXtdfgpKTXwHDcHY1N2V9qfB-&_nc_ohc=KHvIYk2tcfUAX-GSz1-&_nc_ht=scontent.fisu6-1

[size=15]And every time authorities suspect the Central Bank of Iraq or the Federal Reserve in New York, the counterfeiters update their game anew . [/size]

[size=15]According to a banking source and a former Iraqi official, there are small offices run by young men that forge documents professionally, for example, in order to avoid paying taxes for illegally imported goods, money launderers register dozens of companies and then neglect them and create new companies whenever it is due to pay taxes. They involved border authorities in the process, paying officials to obtain fake import certificates with real seals. Thus, money launderers controlled the central bank’s daily dollar sales, which according to bank statistics amounted to more than $ 500 billion since 2003. (The number is much higher than the sums transferred from the Federal Reserve Bank to Iraq because most of the dollars sold by the Central Bank are sent via electronic transfers from Iraq's oil revenues .) [/size]

[size=15]Sometimes fraud is laughablely exposed. In 2017, Iraq officially imported quantities of tomatoes worth 1.66 billion dollars from Iran, which is a thousand times more than the amount it imported in 2016. It also imported watermelons valued at $ 2.86 billion from Iran, while last year's figure was 16 million dollars. These numbers will be ludicrous even if Iraq cannot grow enough tomatoes and melons. Some economists have told me that the official import figures that still appear on the Ministry of Planning website are nothing but a poor cover for money laundering through the dollar auction . [/size]

[size=15]This auction has helped pour billions of dollars into the pockets of influential Iraqi brokers, and this fraud is based on the difference between the fixed exchange rate provided by the central bank pegged to the dollar and the market volatility, which is usually much higher. And as soon as the auction began in 2003, the money launderers realized that if they took out import deals, they could then resell the dollars they had obtained from the central bank to make an immediate profit. Once Iraqi political leaders realized how much money was being made from the process, they quickly took control of the auction process . [/size]

[size=15]As for the regular companies and banks that want to carry out legitimate import or borrowing activities, they have found themselves surrounded by those supported by political parties and militias. In order to cover up this control, these newcomers bought most of the remaining banks and turned them into mere means of their own for auction purposes . [/size]

[size=15]It is impossible to know the amount of billions stolen through the process of buying and selling currency, but many former bankers and Iraqi officials have told me that this type of fraudulent account used for import has been funded through the dollar auction since 2008. According to my personal estimate (based on figures from Central Bank website and information from Iraqi bankers) An amount of 20 billion dollars was stolen, all of the money of the Iraqi people. The businessmen who run this process print their own currency because the cost of what they do is low, and lies in paying money for fraudulent invoices and bribing banks and government officials. Some of the banks that receive high interest from the auction are only small office fronts that are barely staffed . [/size]

[size=15]A parliamentarian who was investigating a corruption case told me that a bank bought four billion dollars at the auction, which would bring him $ 200 million in profits. After checking this bank, it became clear that it contained only one room, one computer and some guards . [/size]

[size=15]The harm caused by auction fraud isn't just the unfair benefits. Ordinary companies found themselves unable to obtain the loans they needed. Some importers were also unable to legally obtain dollars from the auction and had to resort to foreign banks. It is difficult to know the damage this process has inflicted on the economy, but most of the analysts I spoke with said that it was devastating to the private sector, making Iraq more dependent on oil revenues, which have halved in recent months . [/size]

[size=15]One Iraqi commander seriously tried to expose the crimes surrounding the dollar auction process, losing his popularity. Ahmed Chalabi, the banker and politician who helped the Bush administration justify the invasion of Iraq, carried out a parliamentary investigation into the 2014 dollar auction. The documents revealed the involvement of the country's largest banks and their owners in widespread fraud. Before revealing more about the scandal in November 2015, Chalabi died of a heart attack. (Despite the dubious timing, the autopsy did not reveal evidence of another cause of death.) As for the bankers that Chalabi revealed in his investigations, they have not faced any consequences and are still doing business . [/size]

[size=15]The auction is still standing today, along with the money laundering and theft associated with it. In mid-March, the central bank’s website recorded dollar sales that exceeded $ 200 million - more than $ 1 billion in one week - that were supposed to go as import payments. At a time when the Iraqi economy was closed due to the Corona pandemic, some of these imported materials were supposed to be legal, but some bankers told me that these numbers indicate large-scale money laundering operations. Another scandalous sign of corruption is the daily dollar sales to currency exchange offices, which are supposed to be used only by Iraqis traveling abroad. The average rate for these figures in mid-July was approximately 10 million to 11 million dollars a day, although Baghdad airport was closed from March until July 23, and travel restrictions still exist until now . [/size]

[size=15]There is further evidence that the auction continues to provide funds to terrorist groups. In October, the Federal Reserve Bank sent a letter to the Central Bank of Iraq requesting that two banks besides an exchange office be prevented from using the dollar auction, justifying this by believing that there are three entities linked to ISIS or doing material dealings with ISIS. These three institutions are owned by a businessman named Hassan Nasser Jaafar Al-Lami, known in financial circles as the king of fraudulent bills. In January, an employee of the Central Bank of Iraq told a Lebanese TV station that Al-Lami was still using currency auction through other banks that differ from those indicated by the Federal Reserve . [/size]

[size=15]In some cases it appears that the central bank is intentionally trying to derail the efforts of the Federal Reserve or the US Treasury. In 2018, the Treasury issued sanctions against Aras Habib Karim, a politician accused of funding the Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Sanctions were imposed on the bank that he was running and which bears the name Bilad Islamic Bank. Instead of freezing Karim's money, the Central Bank instructed that the $ 40 million of Albilad Bank shares owned by Karim and his family should be returned to them, according to a central bank document that I had obtained. When I asked Treasury officials about the central bank’s decision, they answered with a ready-made phrase: The Treasury continues to work closely with the Iraqi government to implement sanctions . [/size]

[size=15]Iraq is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world. A tale of how the simplest corruption can quickly turn into a scourge and how difficult it is to restore conditions. It will not take long for the dust of time to cover those involved in networks of corruption, as it did in Afghanistan, Somalia and Venezuela. It's becoming a self-sustaining system, says Richard Mesk, who has spent decades studying the topic. It is not possible to intervene in one sector only because all sectors are related to each other, so several institutions must be changed simultaneously. Richard Mesk is a senior contributor and writes for a popular blog that tracks global anti-corruption efforts . [/size]

[size=15]And it is difficult to do without an external force. The US government was instrumental in stemming the corruption in Chicago that reached its peak in the 1920s, when gangster Al Capone took control of the mayor with money. There are not many examples of entire countries being reformed in the modern era except for small autocracies like Singapore when the former Singaporean prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, was ousted in the 1960s . [/size]

[size=15]One of the biggest dilemmas of reform in Iraq is its dependence on cash, which is difficult to track and is more vulnerable to money laundering. So shifting Iraqis to the banking system where there are records showing verifiable payments has become a goal that anti-corruption advocates have been calling for for years. However, the transition from cash is fraught with risks, as modern technologies are vulnerable to being controlled by a few individuals who can exploit this process as a tool for money laundering . [/size]

[size=15]One of the boldest embezzlement operations in Iraq gives us an almost complete idea of the danger posed by such operations. This process uses a device called a QiCard, and it was intended to move the country towards electronic payment. This device was developed by a company called Smart Card International. It allows employees and retirees to receive their monthly salaries in cash from thousands of centers spread across the country. Before this card appeared in 2007, employees had to wait hours outside government banks to receive their money. The company is now competing with smaller companies and publishing huge ads with the slogan: Join the Biggest Family. It presents itself as a local tech company helping to transport Iraq into the information age, with pictures posted on its official website showing the biometric registration process and happy customers making cashless payments. However, the company's association with government salaries has given it great power.. [/size]

[size=15]All this allows the company to operate almost without supervision, according to officials I spoke to and documents I obtained from the Iraqi Finance Ministry and the Central Bank. The company has violated one of the legal conditions stipulating that its payment system be included in the national card payment network, which authorizes the Central Bank to monitor the operations of this company. The documents I have seen describe desperate attempts to hold this company responsible for its banking operations as well as the complaints of retirees who have indicated that this card system deducts amounts from their salaries. The CEO of Key Card, who I contacted by e-mail, said that the company abides by the instructions and that its banking dealings are monitored by the Central Bank and audited by independent institutions on a regular basis . [/size]

[size=15]In light of this blackout, this card is used by Iranian-backed militias that run what are known as ghost employees to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from the state, according to some government officials, including someone close to the financial department of the PMF. This official told me that the crowd registered 70,000 soldiers as part of the electronic payment process through the ki-card (it was not clear if this procedure was carried out with the knowledge of the Qi managers). Phantom soldiers have been a source of enrichment for senior officers in the Iraqi army and police for years. However, it appears that the Qi card payment method has taken fraud to a higher level. The average salary of a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) is approximately one thousand dollars a month, which means that the proceeds of this trick are 800 million dollars annually. This operation was conducted in the strictest secrecy by influential figures closely linked to Iran, including Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, who was assassinated with Qassem Soleimani in January.. [/size]

[size=15]The Key Card gets huge profits from the wages it charges for electronic transactions, and some of these profits, as reported to me by another senior official, are shared with other Iranian-backed personalities . [/size]

[size=15]As the high-ranking official told me, the founder of QI, a businessman called Baha Abdul Hadi, has immunized himself from censorship and criticism for many years through his business relationships with the most influential people, including the leaders of militias linked to Iran. One of them is Ammar al-Hakim, a wealthy cleric and prominent politician. Another person is Shibl al-Zaidi, secretary-general of a militia called the Imam Ali Brigades, and the Treasury Department issued sanctions against him in 2018 for his financial dealings with the Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah. In addition to Nasser al-Shammari, a commander of the Hezbollah militia al-Nujaba. A QI spokeswoman told me that Abd al-Hadi had nothing to do with al-Hakim, al-Zaydi, or al-Shammari . [/size]

[size=15]At the same time, it seems that Key Card tried to get close to US officials and succeeded in some way. At the beginning of 2018, one of the officials appointed by Trump, named Max Primorac, suggested that the United Nations use the QiCard company in banking transactions, according to a report published in May of Before the ProPublica site. Primorac was doing consulting work at the time with the Iraqi American Marquis Foundation. The United Nations did not work with QCard, but Primorac's position has triggered a business ethics complaint by the US State Department. (When asked about this complaint, Primorac replied by sending a note, indicating that no investigation had been opened into this matter.) Then he became assistant to US Vice President Mike Pence . [/size]

[size=15]The Key Card's penetration of American influence reminds us that corruption isn't just about bribes or tax evasion. The global financial crisis of 2008, which exposed the relationships between politicians and stock speculators, helped fuel the populist movements that are still active in Europe, and the election of Donald Trump made corruption a characteristic of our political life even as he accused his opponents with this word . [/size]

[size=15]One afternoon in February, I drove to an urban site in eastern Baghdad called the Sadr Canal. It is an empty strait that stretches for 24 kilometers between the sides of two main highways at the western end of Sadr City and contains a canal in the center. For years, Baghdad city authorities have spoken of an ambitious project to turn this place into an entertainment area that includes sports fields, parks and restaurants. As well as building bridges over the canal where visitors can board boats from that area. In 2011 the local government signed a contract with three construction companies, worth $ 148 million. Today this place is a landfill that no money seems to have been spent on. After crossing the highway and crossing the grass, I found my feet covered in plastic waste. Then I walked for twenty minutes and saw only a few signs of construction: a cheap playground for children, mounds of dirt, and two warehouses of reinforced concrete that were not yet completed. As for the water in the canal, it seemed to be stagnant. [/size]

[size=15]No one seems to know what happened to the money spent on the channel’s front, but the Integrity Commission’s report was referring to familiar observations: delays, disagreements and a former mayor who had fled the country with his deputy, causing intentional damage of $ 12 million. Most of it went into his own pocket. There are similar projects across Iraq: rusty cranes left next to semi-constructed mosques and housing projects. Many of them are still in legal and political disputes. Billions of dollars have been spent on electricity, but Iraq still suffers from a power outage of up to twenty hours a day . [/size]

[size=15]Iraqis call suspicious businessmen who have become rich at the expense of the country whales, they are always above the law. I was warned as I prepared this article that my life would be in danger if I encountered any of them about these illegal activities, but I finally succeeded in talking to one of the "whales". He is a construction mogul and told me that he spent years bribing politicians to secure contracts worth millions of dollars. The man described a world full of darkroom deals in which deadly rivalry is commonplace, as well as easily changing political alliances where the currency in which the currency used is always the up-front cash dollar. It was clear that he had accepted financial blackmail as part of his daily reality. He did not feel any guilt about this thing. He has offices and homes in several countries and spoke colloquial Iraqi like a man who had not received much formal education . [/size]

[size=15]I got to know this person through a government official who had met him through another friend. It was impossible for me to verify the details of the stories they told, but they matched everything I had heard from officials and bankers about the way high-level corruption was made. We spoke on the phone for about two hours, and he told me about one of the deals he managed, which was a large construction project for which the government had allocated 40 billion dinars, equivalent to approximately 33 million dollars . [/size]

[size=15]He told me that in fact I only spent about 10 billion dinars on construction. The rest went as bribes to officials and parties, while the rest of five billion dinars was net profit . [/size]

[size=15]He told me that the election of governors in the past six or seven years who have had a major impact on contracts has been through deals with businessmen who pay money to members of the provincial councils who elect the governor in exchange for a share in the governorate's contracts. He said that anyone with money could manipulate these matters. Deals are coordinated with Conservative MPs who are loyal to different parties and share the proceeds of inflated contracts. As this man told me, a huge contract could provide bribes that cover the costs of electing a governor . [/size]

[size=15]Government officials are not just the recipients of bribes, he told me, as members of the provincial council are knocking on the doors of businessmen and asking them: How can they help? Is there someone they need to tarnish their reputation? Is there a conspiracy they have to reinforce? Is there anyone I should report to the Integrity Committee? In such twisted arts, money is the player first. For example, if you want to conspire against the Dawa Party, members of the provincial council will cooperate with you if you pay them money, he told me . [/size]

[size=15]Behind all these deals are militias that provide protection and take their share of the money. He told me that no businessman or bank without an armed group supporting him would not be able to operate . [/size]

[size=15]This is not a surprise to Iraqis, as they can see how anti-corruption agencies have become vehicles for the spread of bribery. Unfortunately, these are not just accusations without evidence. When I was in Baghdad, I went to meet Mishaan al-Jubouri, a 63-year-old businessman and politician with eyes and a bald head. He was a businessman in the 1980s and fled Iraq at the end of that decade to join the opposition. In 2006, he fled Iraq again after being accused of planning attacks on oil pipelines. Then he returned to Iraq, was elected to Parliament and became a member of the Integrity Committee. He told me while we were sitting in his house in Al-Harithiya that everyone was involved, including the religious and the secular, in villages and cities, from leaders to the youngest members. It became a culture to be proud of . [/size]

[size=15]In 2016, al-Jubouri caused an international press sensation when he told the Guardian newspaper that he himself was involved in corruption, as he took a $ 5 million bribe from someone who wanted him to drop a corruption charge on him. He explained to the journalist that at least he was sincere in what he said . [/size]

[size=15]But when I met him in February, al-Jubouri retracted this confession, claiming that he had invented this story of bribery. . For observers who watch the situation from other continents, the street demonstrations that erupted in Iraqi cities looked like a sudden revolution, but in fact they were boiling for years throughout Iraq. A young protester who was short in stature, 28 years old, from a village called Musa (who requested that his last name not be mentioned for fear of retaliation) told me about the gang economy in Iraq where real qualifications are excluded and job offers come only at exorbitant prices equivalent to salaries. Several months. After he spent five years studying veterinary science, he only found one job opportunity, a one-year contract with a salary of $ 200 a month, which he was expelled from because he did not fulfill his manager’s desire to join a militia. He had no other choice but to accept a job in a local electricity department with a salary of $ 375 a month. [/size]

[size=15]His rebellion began more than two years ago when documents were found showing the director of the Electricity Department being involved in receiving bribes in government contracts. Moussa helped organize protests calling for the director's dismissal. (He was actually expelled, according to Musa's account.) In the following year, Musa began communicating with other young people throughout Iraq who had similar experiences and shared the same feelings, as many of them believed that their country had become a vessel for Iran and its local gangs. By the summer of 2019, the network of local protests began to expand further and Musa was among the organizers calling for the revolt that began on October 1 . [/size]

[size=15]About a week later, he found himself sitting on a sofa across from Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, while the country was boiling. More than 100 people were killed in chaotic clashes with the police, and the economy was stagnant. Desperate about restoring order, Abdul Mahdi was summoning Musa and eight other protest leaders to hear from them. Musa handed him a paper containing the protesters ’demands, which the latter read quickly and silently. Addressing corruption was one of these demands, and after a short dialogue, one of Abdul Mahdi's advisers asked, "Give us a list of the most corrupt officials ." [/size]

[size=15]Musa, who was impatient, was astonished and confused by this request for what he told me, as he knew that he was indeed wanted for arrest by the security forces, and he had to go into hiding after a short period like many other protest leaders. He also knew that a lot of the corrupt characters were likely sitting on the same sofa! His answer to the question was: "This is not our specialty but rather your work." The meeting ended after ten minutes. Shortly afterwards, Abdul Mahdi announced that the demonstrations lacked leadership, and the same could have been said about the Abdul Mahdi government! So, after less than two months, after the escalation of the insurgency, Abdul Mahdi announced his resignation . [/size]

[size=15]The massive demonstrations surprised everyone and the militias for the first time stood on the defensive in years after some protesters mocked them by calling them following the Iranians. Even some of the crowd members participated in it . [/size]

[size=15]Parliament has passed a law allowing the Integrity Commission to verify the incomes of public officials and impose fines or imprisonment on anyone who cannot prove their sources of financial income. In Baghdad, I met the lawyer, Marwa Abd al-Reda, who showed me on her cell phone how the Iraqi Bar Association spent huge money on building a swimming pool. The scandal was exposed before any lawyer could swim in this pool! She told me: A lot was spent in the past and none of the lawyers spoke, but now the situation is different . [/size]

[size=15]The spirit of non-concession is what kept these demonstrations alive, at least until the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, after months of demonstrations the protesters refused to name any person for the presidency and the demonstrators commented on this position: They wanted to change the system, but anyone trying to approach change, even if it was Among them becomes a suspect. The only heroes were the dead fellow demonstrators whose photos appear in the squares . [/size]

[size=15]There is a struggle at the heart of the protest movement trying to free itself from the difficult history of the country. Many young people realize that Iraq, like other ancient colonies in Asia and Africa, often raised the military and clerics to the status of gods, but they were turning into monsters, and this is one of the reasons behind the demonstrators' refusal to have a certain leadership that represents them. They know that what matters now is institution building, not naming rescuers. But they also yearn to find high-profile public figures that guide and inspire them . [/size]

[size=15]At the beginning of the demonstrations a leader emerged who appeared to be an extraordinary hero. Abd al-Wahhab al-Saadi is considered one of the top officers of the Counter-Terrorism Service, and he is a popular figure throughout Iraq, not only because of his military record in fighting ISIS, but also it is said that he is almost the only one among the senior officers who are not aligned with a particular party and have not received any bribes. Last September, the Prime Minister suddenly decided to dismiss this leader, which led the demonstrators to consider him a political martyr who lost the battle because he refused to play the game. They started uploading his pictures, calling his name. Some called for him to be a replacement for Abdul Mahdi. But Al-Saadi answered these calls with some distrust. He said that he is a military man who is not qualified for a political position. Some of the demonstrators were disappointed, while some considered this situation a badge of honor . [/size]

[size=15]Al-Saadi is a tall stature, aged 57, with a stoic figure and gray hair. Despite his belonging to the Shiite sect, the people of Mosul, most of whom are Sunnis, consider him the liberator from the tyranny of ISIS, and they erected a statue for him there. (But the government felt the danger of this movement, so it removed the statue before it was inaugurated.) And when I met him in February, he was still feeling the attention it had popularly received and he told me about the number of calls he had received from political parties that he hoped would be aligned with or adopt it. In this regard, he said while smoking his cigarette that the Prime Minister wanted to use it to obtain the support of public opinion . [/size]

[size=15]

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 117273182_1254206478244101_7532916068393833505_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_eui2=AeHiI0XFkrWrh27USgtbm7BD2m1WSQ-UH9nabVZJD5Qf2ZzjQrVOQAh4K-j5VHiMVKjmTITEKcVKZ-2zaAv9gVcs&_nc_ohc=fWW2eXp3Hi0AX_FMiif&_nc_ht=scontent.fisu6-1

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[size=15]Al-Saadi was not comfortable talking about himself, as he was characterized by the humility of the Spartan, and he usually put his hands in his pockets and looked away as if he was assessing the situation of one of the military exercises in the field in contrast to the behavior of Iraqi political figures who always feel its importance. Politicians were usually stocky and talkative while he was skinny and modest. They often own the luxury homes in London and Amman, while Saadi lives in an apartment in Baghdad. I do not possess evidence that Al-Saadi did not receive a bribe, but many Iraqis wish to embarrass him, and yet no evidence has emerged against him. He is so honest that he refused to help his son, who joined the army, a level of integrity that some of his colleagues saw as unnatural. When I asked him about this, he told me that his father died when he was young, and that his older brother had been executed by Saddam Hussein. He wanted the same thing for his son, who told him "You must rely on yourself."“. [/size]

[size=15]On a Friday evening, I met Al-Saadi at one of the cafes, “Reda Alwan Cafe” in a bustling middle-class neighborhood. We sat at a table outside, surrounded by the aroma of coffee and the flavor of tobacco. Although he was a little talkative, he seemed comfortable talking about politics and history, and his conversation was repeatedly interrupted because of the clients who wanted to shake hands with him and take pictures with the hero of Mosul. He was responding to all of them with a shy smile, and when they asked him if he would play any role in the new government, he would wave to them and say, “God willing,” (after our last meeting, Prime Minister Al-Kazemi reappointed and promoted Al-Saadi ). [/size]

[size=15]And when we tried to leave the cafe. People recognized him on the street as soon as he stood and gathered around him. He stood tall, taking pictures and shaking hands with people. As the cars were slowing down to look at him, I heard someone shouting, "Look! It's Saadi. ”And one of the women started to sing. His bodyguards were nervous but there was nothing they could do as everyone wanted to have a moment with him . [/size]

[size=15]After 15 minutes, while he was only a foot from the cafe, the street became crowded. A middle-aged man began singing rhymes about the Saadi championship and about his role in saving Iraq from ISIS. While people clapped cheerfully as they took pictures. Then a young taxi driver dressed in a black jellaba shoved into the crowd, telling al-Saadi how his brother had been killed in the protest square in Baghdad. He thanked Al Saadi for all that he had presented and then allowed other fans to enter. Then came a soldier wearing a helmet and body armor and began to plead with Saadi to be the next defense minister. Then a policeman appeared saying, "We want him as Minister of the Interior ." [/size]

[size=15]As I stood in the dark, I was moved upon seeing those yearning faces full of hope. All they are asking is what many of us, lucky enough, take for granted, at least at this time: relatively honest bureaucrats, clean streets, police officers who don't ask for bribes. They want a country . [/size]

[size=15]https://www.nrttv.com/Ar/News.aspx?id=30168&MapID=2
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by **claud39** Tue Aug 11, 2020 4:08 pm

Deputy: An International Lawsuit Against 41 Iraqi Officials ... Most Notably Al-Amiri And Al-Fayyad
Last updated Aug 10, 2020

(Al-Mustaqillah) ... Representative Faiq Sheikh Ali announced that the head of the American-Iraqi Anti-Corruption Organization (IAACO) Ali Fadel will file a lawsuit against 41 Iraqi officials close to Iran.
"Tomorrow, Monday, August 10, 2020, the hero Ali Fadel will file a case before the International Criminal Court in The Hague against 41 Iraqi officials and militias," Sheikh Ali said in a tweet on Twitter.
He explained, "The list begins with Faleh Al-Fayyad and ends with Hamed Al-Jazaery. Hadi al-Ameri bears the number 6 in it, ”adding,“ On my part, I will do my part, God willing. ”

https://www.mustaqila.com/%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%A8-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%89-%D9%82%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B6%D8%AF-41-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A4%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82/

by **claud39** Tue Aug 11, 2020 6:06 pm

Documents .. Integrity summoned former Finance Minister Fuad Hussein on charges of wasting public money

10-08-2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

Baghdad / Al-Akhbariya

The Integrity Commission issued, on Monday, an order to bring in former Finance Minister Fuad Hussein, for causing him to waste public money, according to Article 340.

In a statement received by Al-Akhbariya, a member of the Committee for Monitoring the Implementation of the Governmental Program and Strategic Planning, Representative Inaam Al-Khuzaie, stated that "based on a complaint filed by a number of deputies, the Integrity Commission issued an order to summon former Finance Minister Fuad Hussein for causing him to waste public money in accordance with Article 340."

She pointed out that "the aforementioned article ranges from a sentence to those convicted of imprisonment for a term of up to seven years."

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

https://www.ikhnews.com/index.php?page=article&id=223664

by **claud39** Tue Aug 11, 2020 6:09 pm

Summons against former Finance Minister Fouad Hussein for investigation on charges of wasting public money and exploiting the position

10-08-2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

Baghdad / Al-Akhbariya

Today, Monday, the MP for the movement of the new generation, Yusra Rajab, revealed that a summoning order was issued against former Finance Minister Fouad Hussein for investigation on charges of wasting public money and exploiting the position.

In a statement read by Al-Akhbariya, Ragab said, "About 30 deputies have filed a complaint against the current foreign minister and former finance minister Fouad Hussein on charges of wasting public money and exploiting the position at the time."

She added, "The judiciary issued an order to bring Hussein in accordance with Article 340 due to the waste of more than six trillion dinars and the abuse of the position."

Fouad Hussein holds the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs currently in the government of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, and several political blocs objected to his assumption of the position of Foreign Affairs, but the "political consensus" put him on the cabinet chair.

https://www.ikhnews.com/index.php?page=article&id=223646

by **claud39** Tue Aug 11, 2020 6:10 pm

Revealing a major corruption deal ... Deputy: Iraq imported "sandals" for 700 million dollars

11-08-2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

Baghdad / Al-Akhbariya
Former MP Ammar Al-Shibli revealed a major corruption deal that the Iraqi government concluded 8 years ago.
Al-Shibli said in a televised statement that "Iraq imported sandals eight years ago," worth 700 million dollars, and they were recorded as iPads and laptops. "
He added, "Some of those accused of this deal, affiliated with political parties, were honored and moved to a better place."

https://www.ikhnews.com/index.php?page=article&id=223703

by **claud39** Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:29 am

[size=36][rtl]The first challenge is for the economy[/rtl][/size]

Thursday 13th August 2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 980-Alsabbaq

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 980-Alsabbaq

Dr.. Basem Brahimi

It has become certain that financial and administrative corruption is the first challenge facing the development of the Iraqi economy, as it has been recognized by the highest levels of government and most of the prime ministers, including the current prime minister, and the main problem in studying the subject remains the difficulty of determining the actual size of corruption, but the use of some Reports and indicators can clarify some of its aspects

The annual reports issued by the Iraqi Integrity Commission indicated that approximately (10) billion dollars were recovered during the period (2009-2019) from the value of corruption sums allocated by the commission, and on the other hand, a United Nations report on corruption indicated that there are sums estimated at ( 17) One billion dollars were stolen through oil smuggling, shell companies and unimplemented contracts.

Despite its improvement from the previous year, Iraq still ranks late in the corruption indicators issued by Transparency International, as it ranked (162) out of (180) countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index for the year 2019.

In this regard, the annual reports of the Integrity Commission indicated that (14) judgments of conviction were issued in corruption cases against employees who are ministers or those of his rank, in addition to (124) judgments for the rank of director general and special ranks for the three years (2017-2019) only. The percentage of parliamentarians who disclosed their financial receivables has decreased to (38%, 16%, 35%) for the years mentioned above.

Straight.

The aforementioned figures, in addition to the undeclared or undiscovered corruption numbers during the past years, were the reason for the Iraqi economy to reach what it has reached today, leaving behind unemployment and poverty that exceeds two-fifths of the population size and services that do not rise to half
Actual need.

On the other hand, if we want to address the current crises and start the economy to the required stages of growth, then the first step must be facing financial and administrative corruption, and the best solution in dealing with it is automation on the one hand, as well as allowing the private sector to play a real role in the economy

On the other hand.

https://alsabaah.iq/28661/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF

by **claud39** Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:33 pm

Integrity reveals the waste of 58 billion dinars in the project to establish schools in Kirkuk

08/28/2020

Economy News - Baghdad

The Federal Integrity Commission revealed, on Friday, the existence of cases of waste of public money in the project of establishing schools in the pre-built method in the Kirkuk governorate, indicating that the value of the project is about (58) billion dinars.

A statement of the commission, which was seen by Al-Eqtisad News, stated that “the investigation department of the commission, in its talk about the seizure process, indicated that the Kirkuk investigation office team had moved to the governorate office, and set the priorities for the project of establishing 25 schools using the pre-fabricated building method. To a foreign company, at an amount of (57,894,000,000) billion dinars. "

He explained that "the period of implementation of the project was set at (24) months, in contravention of the provisions of Clause (Fourth) of Article (4) of the Instructions for the Implementation of Government Contracts No. (1 of 2008)."

The statement added that "the investigations of the commission's investigation office in the governorate revealed that the company executing the project had tampered with the basic designs, reduced the number of schools from (25) to (18) schools, and changed designs and spaces, contrary to the terms of contracts and without obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Planning, in addition to the Kirkuk Governorate. With the inclusion of the Italian company in the provisions of Cabinet Resolution No. (347 of 2015), in contravention of the requirements of the resolution, which stated the need to address the stalled projects as a result of the security situation and the financial crisis.

He explained that "the company’s inclusion in the provisions of the aforementioned decision led to a waste of public money by exempting the company from late fines and exaggerating the cost of the project." The judge of the investigation court specializing in integrity issues in Kirkuk governorate, to take the appropriate legal measures.

https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=21647

by **claud39** Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:35 pm

The Minister of Transport tells shocking details about the corruption of influential mafias in airlines and ports

08/28/2020

Economy News _ Baghdad

Transport Minister Nasser Hussein Al-Shibli revealed that the parties' agendas are present inside the ports. Therefore, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi provided special protections for the purpose of completing the security fence for them "due to the large number of corruption," and while he indicated that all political blocs focus on airlines, ports, and land transport, stressing that there are A fact-finding committee to investigate the "illegal" violations of the Naseem Al-Iraq Maritime Company at Khor Al-Zubair port.

Al-Shibli said in an interview followed by Al-Eqtisad News, that “Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi worked to provide special protections for the purpose of completing the security fence for the ports to prevent corruption and smuggling,” explaining, “We have formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the issue of (NA) company and its actions without legal basis. At Khor Al-Zubair port, I replaced the crew due to a dispute between two companies over a berth and the committee is currently working on that. "

He pointed out that "all political blocs focus on airlines, ports, and land transport, and we discovered that truckloads inside Iraq are three times the load inside Iran," adding that when the ministry entered into a discussion of investment contracts, it found that all contracts allow the investor to take 70 percent of the profits and the state This deceives air freight and taxi Baghdad and others. As for the ports, the state takes 15% and 75% for the investors, as if the ministry is accustomed to it!

Al-Shibli demanded that the Civil Aviation Authority be separated from the Ministry of Transport because it causes us problems to intersect the powers between us and it, and to make it subordinate to the Prime Minister as a supreme authority. We would like to show that as of 2018, the aviation authority is responsible for organizing travel, and the ministry has no right to intervene. "

He explained that "the Iraqi Airways fleet includes only 31 planes, and the Baghdad taxi contract expired last year, but the former minister extended it." .

And between Al-Shibli, when I took over the ministry, I found it as if it was a house of heirs and I did not find anything interconnected, so I worked to bring qualified employees only to control corruption and waste, and the employees became afraid as a result of follow-up and we removed the agents and reduced their powers and imposed an electronic automation system in airlines, especially in the financial aspects, and this system preserves public money Waste is prevented, and the prime minister is very interested in this issue, and imports have increased by a large percentage and have reached reasonable amounts. "

The minister concluded his speech by saying that "the ministry is making excellent steps in the issue of the suspended train. We agreed with the Minister of Planning a few days ago, Design is complete, and we referred the matter to a French company with the help of the Railways Authority and the Baghdad Municipality."

https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=21640

by **claud39** Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:46 am

[size=32]Statement of the Parliamentary Economy and Investment Committee regarding stopping cooperation with the National Investment Authority[/size]

01/09/2020

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Honorable Prime Minister,
ministers,
supervisory departments
and relevant institutions

We call on you to stop cooperation with the National Investment Commission in all forms, and hold you responsible and legal consequences for wasting public money, and we call on the Prime Minister to refer the Authority’s Chairman, Window Manager and Legal Department Director to the investigation and withdraw their hand until the investigation ends.

We would like to emphasize that the Economic and Investment Committee had previously met with the Prime Minister, and the violations were confirmed by the Commission in official letters at the meeting. It was supposed to form a committee for the purpose of stopping corruption and waste operations in the non-application of the provisions of the Investment Law, in a number of axes, including ownership at an allowance 2 % Of the value of the land according to the system enforced by the government and it is different to the provisions of the effective investment law, which speaks in exchange for the real value of land within the boundaries of the municipalities and the capital, and this transgression of the law is contrary to the constitution and legal law, and also the system grants 98% of the land’s value to their partners in corruption and is forbidden Citizen and the state treasury from these funds that reach in the worst case 10 trillion in the lands granted during this period and the circumstances of the Corona pandemic and more than that the state is restricting the provision of services on its account in billions more in addition to the issue of expanding the electricity stations in which the smell of corruption has reached neighboring countries and the involvement of the country By tensBillions.

We stress that this institution has no economic benefit, but on the contrary it has become one of the biggest gates of corruption because of its officials and threatens the survival of the state's assets due to their persistence in insisting on corruption, which has conveyed a message that they are not afraid of accountability and that they are above the law and
we are presenting before your eyes some of the administrative abuses. On the law and distortion in using the provisions of the law in the article on expropriation and the state’s obligation to purchase electricity supply service from investors at times the value that was not stipulated in the investment law instead of allocating these funds to build government stations and unleash honorable competition between the public and private sectors in the service of the citizen
We will present some of the violations of the law in the administrative procedures followed: -
Article 20 First, the Commission issues an investment license through the establishment of a single window that includes authorized representatives from the ministries and relevant authorities ..

Article 20 Second / B / For one window to submit the recommendation to grant the license to the Chairman of the Commission Or the Board of Directors, as
the case may be, Investment Regulation No. 2 of 2009 Article 4 First The competence of the National Commission is defined for strategic projects with the Federal floor exclusively.

Article 5 of the system specifies the tasks of the Board of Directors of the National Commission,
including

first setting a strategic policy

Second: Determine the necessary procedures to monitor, follow up and evaluate the performance of investment projects through committees formed for this purpose, so how does the board of directors monitor projects and grant licenses that are not even presented to it, and the window is supposed to make recommendations according to the opinion of the delegates, so how can the recommendation be without the approval of the delegates representatives of the sectoral authorities.

Article 13 of the system 2 The
provisions of Article C of Article 7 of the law shall be observed in granting investment licenses for projects that require obtaining approval from the Council of Ministers, and this indicates that projects whose value exceeds 250 million will obtain the approval of the Council of Ministers for the region or governorate commission. The investment license is granted in the National Authority without the approval of the delegates and without the approval of the Board of Directors.

Article 4 / g / of the law stipulates that the board of directors of the National Investment Commission shall meet at the invitation of its president, and the quorum for the meeting and decision-making shall be determined by an absolute majority. The workflow shall be organized by an internal system issued by the Commission and any decisions taken in the National Administration Board if the projects are not presented to it ??

For the purpose of stopping the waste of billions of dollars, state assets and administrative abuses, we demand that Mr. Al-Kazemi implement the law, withdraw the hand, and refer them to investigation and prevent them from traveling and investigating their properties.

Economic and Investment Committee
House of Representatives
Media
Department 1/9/2020

https://ar.parliament.iq/2020/09/01/%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%86%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%82%d8%aa%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%ab%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%a8-3/

by **claud39** Tue Sep 01, 2020 12:38 pm

Hello forum members !!

Just to show you that interpol is involved in Iraq, as I mentioned to Jayzze the other day, So I'm putting this article to you to prove it to you, good day everyone !!!

Claud (Moose)

[size=44]INTERPOL Chief meets with Iraqi Prime Minister to discuss security[/size]
Feb. 28, 2018

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 SG-with-Iraq-PM-edit

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 SG-with-Iraq-PM-edit

BAGHDAD, Iraq – INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abaidi to discuss a range of measures to identify and arrest foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) both within Iraq and abroad.

With ISIS/Daesh militarily defeated, the focus is now on law enforcement efforts to address the evolving threat posed by FTFs and investigate crimes committed on Iraqi territory.

The Secretary General headed an INTERPOL team in Baghdad which is liaising with the Ministry of Interior and its partners to identify areas for enhanced cooperation in relation to counter-terrorism, forensics and border security.

Evidence and information from the battlefield is playing a significant role in enhancing security around the world.

Biometric data recovered from Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq and the Gulf shared via INTERPOL has already resulted in the identification of suspects in Europe and Asia.

“The INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Baghdad is one of the most active in the region, regularly sharing vital policing information,” said Secretary General Stock.

“Discussions have focused on how we can help Iraqi authorities to further strengthen the National Central Bureau and enhance the quality of information for successful investigations.

“We are now looking at a range of joint activities which will help achieve long term, sustainable results and benefits for the Iraqi security services,” added the INTERPOL Chief, who highlighted proposals to expand access to INTERPOL’s global databases to strategic locations.

Another potential area for assistance is through INTERPOL’s Project FIRST (Facial, Imaging, Recognition, Searching and Tracking) which focuses on biometric data sharing on FTFs.

Secretary General Stock’s mission to Iraq will build on outcomes from the Conference on mobilizing law enforcement efforts to defeat ISIS (Daesh) held in Washington DC this week and the recent Global Coalition Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/Daesh in Kuwait.

https://www.interpol.int/fr/Actualites-et-evenements/Actualites/2018/INTERPOL-Chief-meets-with-Iraqi-Prime-Minister-to-discuss-security

by **claud39** Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:03 pm

[size=30]Integrity comments on the "Committee for Major Cases" .. These are the corruption whales![/size]

2020.09.01

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 B731a7783-39247-202009010302

Baghdad - People

Today, Tuesday, the Parliamentary Integrity Committee promised the government’s formation of a committee to combat major corruption cases, a step in the right direction.

Member of the committee, MP Hassan Shaker, said in a statement to the official agency, followed by "Nass", (September 1, 2020), that "Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's intention to form an anti-corruption cell or committee is a good step in the right direction," calling on the government to "follow the correct mechanisms in Facing corruption whales. "

He added that "the sources of corruption and the mechanism of its spread in Iraq must be identified, and complete information gathered, to form an integrated database, then stop the corrupt and send them to the courts to receive their just penalty," pointing out that "corruption is widespread and widespread in Iraq, but it needs seriousness and real work."

To combat it. "

He explained that "the so-called corruption whales are influential people in ministries and state departments, and they must be held accountable."

The Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, had previously announced the formation of a supreme committee to deal with major corruption cases and exceptional crimes, while announcing the end of the first phase of investigating the facts of violations against the October demonstrators.

The legal expert, Ali Al-Tamimi, believed that the formation of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi of an investigative committee to look into major and exceptional cases of corruption agrees with the constitution in Article 78, and it will also be a gateway to open important files.

Al-Tamimi said in a statement, which "People" received a copy of, (August 30, 2020), that "the formation of this committee is in accordance with the constitution, Article (78) that granted broad powers to the Prime Minister, as well as Article (2) of the Cabinet Bylaw No. 2 of 2019 And also the State Employees Discipline Law No. 14 of 1991.

He added, "This committee can refer investigative files to the judiciary or the public prosecution ... but I think the cabinet can coordinate with the Judicial Council in establishing a specialized court for investigation and trial, as well as clarifying the source of the information and receiving the files and allowing them."

He pointed out that "the formed committee will be a gateway to open important and large files, for example the file of the fall of Mosul, the killing of demonstrators, the waste of public money, and the smuggling of money out of Iraq, which is estimated at 500 billion dollars."

Al-Tamimi stressed the need for the files to be examined by this committee for confidentiality and also coordination with the public prosecution to demand the return of the fugitives and the smuggled money in accordance with the International Interpol agreement and coordination with the American side in accordance with Article 27 of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement.

He continued, "I think this is an important step in the right direction towards correcting the tracks."

https://www.nasnews.com/view.php?cat=39247

by **claud39** Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:10 pm

With documents .. Al-Kazemi forms a permanent committee to investigate important corruption and crimes cases

03-09-2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

Baghdad - news

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi directed the formation of a permanent committee to investigate important corruption and crimes cases.

A document issued by the Prime Minister's Office, stipulating the formation of a committee specialized in investigating corruption and public crimes cases, headed by the human rights team Ahmed Taha Hashem, and the membership of each representative of the intelligence and national security services, and a representative of the Integrity Commission.

The document indicated the powers vested in the committee. "

The document stated:

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 Image

https://www.ikhnews.com/index.php?page=article&id=225597

by **claud39** Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:02 am

[size=36]Women’s participation critical to ending corruption in Iraq: New forum launches today[/size]

Thursday, 03 September 2020

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Baghdad, 3 September 2020 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq, is today launching Iraq’s first-ever anti-corruption forum for women, highlighting the integral role women play in combating corruption in the country.

The Women Against Corruption forum brings together 35 academics and activist Iraqi women from the government, civil society and the private sector across the country to elevate the participation of women in anti-corruption measures for the socio-economic development of Iraq.

As part of its commitment to achieving gender equality under Agenda2030, UNDP supported the establishment of the forum, providing group members with technical support to identify ways to engage young women in the fight against corruption, and develop an awareness-raising campaigns targeting the general population.

The forum takes a grassroots approach, placing community at its core and actively involving individuals - men and women - in the process of fighting corruption.

“In Iraq, most anti-corruption measures focus on governmental institutions, while the role of the community, civil society and the private sector remain secondary. If the country is to succeed in its fight against corruption, it should invest in the community as a whole,” says Resident Representative of UNDP Iraq, Zena Ali Ahmad.

“Corruption exacerbates gender inequalities. As primary caretakers of their households and communities, women experience corruption in their everyday lives. Understanding corruption at a grassroots level, from the perspective of women, and highlighting their critical role in addressing misuse of power is central to preventing and reducing corruption in Iraq,” she adds.

Prior to the forum’s launch, members undertook research that revealed the most prevalent forms of corruption in Iraq from the perspective of women. The research also revealed that the most common obstacles preventing women from reporting corruption included a lack of confidence in the party receiving the reports, and a fear of reprisals from the reporting agency.

Media contact:
Fay Daoud | fay.daoud@undp.org | +964 780 1976 460 Mohammed Al-Bahbahanee | mohammed.al-bahbahanee@undp.org | +964 770 439 9222

https://www.uniraq.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=12806:women-s-participation-critical-to-ending-corruption-in-iraq-new-forum-launches-today&Itemid=605&lang=en

by **claud39** Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:38 pm

In a first step of its kind, Al-Kazemi assigns the Counter-Terrorism Service to combat corruption

2020-09-03

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Shafaq News / Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi has directed the formation of a permanent committee to investigate corruption cases headed by the human rights team, Ahmed Abu Ragheef.

According to a special book issued by Al-Kazemi, obtained by Shafaq News, the Prime Minister authorized the Counter-Terrorism Service to implement the decisions issued by the committee.

Iraqis have been protesting for years about poor basic public services such as electricity, health and water, as well as unemployment and corruption.

Iraq is one of the most corrupt countries in the world according to Transparency International's index over the past years.

Corruption is considered, in addition to security tensions, the reason behind successive governments' failure to improve conditions in the country, despite the large financial revenues from the sale of oil.

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https://shafaaq.com/ar/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B9%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B8%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%84%D9%81-%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AD%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AF

by **claud39** Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:40 pm

[size=30]Report: 'New Formula' for Anti-Corruption Commission ... Al-Kazemi intends to confront 'Big Whales'[/size]

05/09/2020

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 D28c420e2-39521-202009051003

Baghdad - people

It seems that the file of eliminating corruption whales in Iraq is one of the priorities of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, who recently formed a special committee with wide powers to investigate corruption files and major cases.



According to a report by the London-based Al-Arab newspaper, followed by “Nas,” (September 5, 2020), Al-Kazemi's efforts in the field of prosecuting the most corrupt figures are surrounded by many doubts, given the political immunity they enjoy, as well as other issues.



Below is the text of the report:

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi has formed a special committee to investigate corruption files and major cases, directing to grant it exceptional powers, in the first indication of the prime minister's intention to confront the big whales in his country.

Given the composition of the new committee, and the security authority that will carry out the tasks of chasing and arresting the corrupt, it seems that there is a real intention to target figures who may be from the first row.

Al-Kazemi assigned the human rights team, Ahmed Taha Hashem, who had previously served in high-ranking intelligence sites within the Ministry of Interior, to head the Special Investigations Committee. He is supported by a senior official in the intelligence service, provided that the Counter-Terrorism Service, led by General Abdel Wahhab Al-Saadi, who is popular after the defeat of ISIS, will undertake the task of implementing judicial arrest warrants against wanted corrupt individuals, if issued.

Al-Kazemi strengthened the committee with representatives of other oversight and security agencies, while supporting it with a large number of employees.

According to the order that bore the signature of Al-Kazemi, the Special Investigation Committee has the right to summon any Iraqi to give his testimony, except for those who were actually accused in a fundamental way in a case that falls within the powers of this committee, as these are treated through the judiciary.

According to interpretations of experts in law and procedural issues, this committee can summon all former heads of the republic, government and parliament, along with all ministers, officials, employees, politicians, merchants and businessmen, who are not officially accused of corruption cases.

The committee also has the right to open any closed corruption file against any person, and to investigate former defendants who were acquitted, convicted, or are still under review, provided that judicial orders are issued to do so, to prevent interfering investigations.

The news of the announcement of the formation of this committee, especially its composition, sparked an enthusiastic reaction on social networking sites, where many bloggers saw that the actual war on the corrupt in Iraq had already begun.

General Al-Saadi, the commander of the US-armed counterterrorism service, is one of the main opponents of the pro-Iranian factions and politicians close to Tehran, and observers see his assignment of this type of mission as an indication of the approaching confrontation.

Professor of Political Science at Baghdad University Ihssan Al-Shammari believes that "mandating the Counter-Terrorism Service to implement decisions related to corruption cases is an indication of armed friction with leaders and mafias of corruption."

Observers place this development in the context of urging the countries of the region and the world, Iraq, to confront the factions loyal to Iran, and put an end to its hegemony over the country's political, security and economic decision.

Political analyst Ahmed Al-Abyadh says that the zero hour seems to have approached a lot in Iraq, pointing to the link between these developments and the visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Iraq.

Al-Abyadh added that the visit of the French President can be translated as "a mediator to convey the final warning to the factions."

"Now the difficult test for Al-Kazemi's seriousness has begun to impose the prestige of the state," he explained.

Al-Kazemi's government previously had contact with former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, through one of his in-laws, when it issued a decision to freeze his properties after he exploited state property in an unorthodox manner.

Al-Maliki is among the most prominent targets that the angry Iraqi street demands to pursue, for causing a third of the country's lands to fall at the hands of ISIS militants in the last year of his eight years of rule, in addition to his responsibility for the theft and squandering of about a thousand billion dollars between 2006 and 2014.

However, Al-Kazemi's efforts in pursuing senior corrupt individuals are surrounded by many doubts, due to the political immunity they enjoy, and most of them close ties to Tehran, which is able to move its armed militias inside Iraq to confuse the situation.

Therefore, observers suspend their expectations regarding the seriousness of any legal campaign to prosecute the corrupt to the extent of the readiness of the Iraqi armed forces for a direct confrontation with the factions that protect them, which could reveal in the next few months.

https://www.nasnews.com/view.php?cat=39521

by **claud39** Tue Sep 08, 2020 9:43 am

Integrity monitors manipulation of real estate priorities and waste of public money in Basra

09/08/2020

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Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption - Page 4 22940

Economy News _ Baghdad

The Investigation Department of the Federal Integrity Commission revealed, on Tuesday, that it was able to control cases of fraud in the priorities of real estate in Basra governorate owned by the state, while its monitoring revealed suspicions of wasting public money in the process of selling these properties.

A statement of the Authority stated that “Al-Eqtisad News” received a copy of it, “The department, in its discussion of the details of the operation that was carried out according to a judicial memorandum, indicated that public money was wasted, represented by selling state real estate at prices not commensurate with its real prices, indicating that the value These properties amount to (5,000,000,000) billion dinars. ”

The statement added that “the Basra Investigation Department team, which moved to the Shatt al-Arab Municipality’s directorate, was able to control (110) real estate transactions whereby properties belonging to the state were sold at prices not commensurate with their real prices, pointing out that some municipality employees have tampered with the priorities of these properties. “.

The commission confirmed, “The organization of a fundamentalist seizure report of the seizures in the process, and presented it to the judge of the investigation court specialized in issues of integrity in the province of Basra; To take appropriate legal action.

https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=21770

by **claud39** Sun Oct 04, 2020 11:16 am

Al-Kazemi reveals the reasons for the formation of the Supreme Committee to Combat Corruption

10/4/2020

Economy News - Baghdad

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi said that the reason for the formation of the Supreme Committee to Combat Corruption is to address the politicization occurring in the Integrity Commission.

"The reason for the formation of the Supreme Committee for Combating Corruption is to eradicate the politicization that the Integrity Commission was subjected to in a certain period of time."

Al-Kazemi stressed that "the committee is not a substitute for the authority, as it has put its hand on dangerous files," noting that there is a deception practiced by parties, which Al-Kazemi did not name, related to "supporting the private sector."

He continued: "There is no country in the world with more than 4 million employees," such as Iraq, indicating that "it is the right of the citizen to work in the public sector."

The prime minister revealed working on "a paper to reform its two names (the white paper), and it needs cooperation between the people and the government."

https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=22101

Learn about Parliament's vision of institutionalizing and fighting corruption