Leading Iraqi officials face corruption investigations Abadi initiates crackdown
Iraq is investigating more than 5,000 cases of corruption, many involving or implicating senior government officials.
Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi said late on Tuesday night that the Integrity Commission, a government body responsible for fighting corruption, was investigating thousands of cases involving ministers and high-ranking officials.
He referred several ministers to the commission to be investigated for allegations of fraud in awarding government education contracts.
Lack of good governance and transparency has been at the heart of the country’s problems.
Iraq is ranked 169th out of 180 states in Transparency International’s corruption perception index, with the lowest being the most corrupt.
Mr Al Abadi vowed his government would “use all available tools to hold to account all those who engage in corrupt practices”.
“Iraq needs a strong, united government ready to serve the Iraqi people,” Mr Al Abadi said.
“A strong government is also essential to encourage local and international investment, build our economy and create job opportunities for our citizens.”
He made the pledges after more than a month of unrest after protests in the south spread to Baghdad.
Demonstrators rallied against the government’s failure to address power shortages, unemployment, the lack of clean water and state mismanagement.
Anger is mounting at a time when legislators are struggling to form a government after elections in May.
The vote itself was marred by allegations of fraud and voter irregularity that prompted a recount.
Mr Al Abadi, who is seeking a second term in office, is heading a fragile caretaker government that will serve until a new government is formed.
A political bloc led by Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr won the largest share of the votes on an anti-corruption platform that resonated with voters.
Endemic corruption in Iraq has further damaged an economy already badly hit by falling oil prices and the war on ISIS.
The demonstrations led Mr Al Abadi to form a committee to investigate corruption and to bow to protesters’ demands and sack his minister of electricity, Qassem Al Fahdawi.
After taking office in 2014, the prime minister declared a war on corruption but has met fierce resistance from politicians, including some from within his bloc, who pushed back on efforts to remove political faction leaders from top posts and replace them with technocrats.