Introduction 1-Iraqi Ministry of Trade: The transmission of the Director of the grain company to investigate the corruption case

(To add details and background)

Baghdad, Feb. 15 (Reuters) - A statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Commerce said on Monday that the acting minister referred the Director General of the General Company for Grain Trade Haitham Khali and 16 others did not announce names for investigation on charges of transferring wheat shipments illegally from one of the silos in western Baghdad.

The company responsible for the initial purchase of goods worth billions of dollars in global markets and the Iraqi farmers for use in the domestic support program across the country, making it one of the largest importers of wheat and rice in the world.

Reuters was not able to communicate instantly with Khali for comment.

The statement said that an investigation conducted by the ministry showed that Khali and director of the silo Khan Dhari, west of Baghdad and 15 other employees were referred to the Integrity Commission "after the operation revealed the manipulation of falsifying transport documents."

Action comes three months after the status decision of the Minister of Trade Mohamed Soudani dismissal of the head of the company and six other officials on charges of graft.

The statement added that investigations are continuing, "the location of silos (silos) again in Baghdad, Basra and Samawa."

And it faced a number of the Ministry of Commerce officials on corruption charges in the past and was arrested four security guards of the ministry against the backdrop of the killing of a media adviser to the ministry in September, a bomb, and they are currently awaiting trial.

And reform of the ministry an important test for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who promised to address the issue of corruption in the political system based on sectarian quotas which creates a powerful patronage networks.

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