Parliament is seeking to lift the immunity of 30 deputies on various charges and calls on the government to provide ministers “corrupt” to the to the judiciary
Baghdad today – The Council of Representatives is preparing to lift the immunity of deputies required to judge on various charges ranging from defamation and corruption, while the political blocs in the Council confirmed its support to the claims of the Supreme Judicial Council on this file, a judicial expert that the parliament did not lift the immunity of one of its members since the start of the first session In 2006 only one case was overturned by the Federal Court.
“The parliament continues to lift the immunity of deputies required for the judiciary because it is a legal and constitutional action and the deputy must defend himself before the judiciary,” said deputy head of the parliamentary legal committee Mohammed al-Ghazi.
Al-Ghazi said in a press statement: “For the ministers addressed corruption charges, which the Prime Minister said they must be referred to the judiciary before the declaration, because they do not enjoy immunity, whether they are former or current, so the legal procedures are easy to be held against them,” calling the Prime Minister as the President The Anti-Corruption Authority “to proceed with the investigation procedures and refer the wanted parties to the concerned parties as they are considering these matters until proven guilty or not.”
He added that “the Supreme Judicial Council earlier in the House of Representatives with the presence of personalities have become members of parliament and had previously held executive positions in previous governments directed to some charges of corruption, and the House of Representatives to lift immunity from them as well as current deputies,” adding that “The number of more than 30 deputies ranging between charges of libel and defamation and other charges of corruption.”
“The law must take its course, and the lifting of immunity constitutional and legal process, and the House of Representatives to agree so that the MP can defend himself in front of the judiciary,” noting that “the parliament will not take any action because the subject has become the hands of the judiciary.”
In turn, the National Wisdom bloc confirmed its support to the Supreme Judicial Council to lift the immunity of some deputies who were holding executive positions.
“We are demanding that the Supreme Judicial Council lift the immunity of some of the deputies who were in executive positions and have files of corruption open to the judiciary,” said MP Khaled al-Geshmi, stressing the need to lift immunity for them to appear before the judiciary.
“The Presidency of the Council of Representatives to refer the request of the Supreme Judicial Council and the Iraqi courts to lift the immunity of the deputies, who have files and convert them with documents to the relevant committees to study them so as not to be malicious things,” noting that “immunity was placed to protect the deputy in the case of the deputy corruption cases Or a particular opinion. ”
He pointed out that “there are 40 books arrived from the courts to the House of Representatives to lift the immunity of some MPs,” adding that “the 40 books do not mean that the number of 40 deputies, but there may be more than one file for one deputy,” stressing the need for “discrimination Between financial and administrative corruption and statements and publishing courts, and we are against lifting the immunity of MPs in the event of expression of opinion or statements, “and called« the Presidency of the House of Representatives to transfer the requests of the courts to the parliamentary committees competent to study and put on the agenda ».
For his part, considered the MP for the coalition of the Raed Fahmi Fahmi, that lifting the immunity of any deputy at the request of the judicial does not represent a conviction, but is an administrative procedure to facilitate the work of the judiciary.
Fahmy said in an interview: “The request to lift the immunity of some MPs did not come from a political point of view, but from the judiciary, which means that it is based on documents and documents, and therefore the proof of innocence is through going to the judiciary and the implementation of those charges,” noting that «lift Immunity does not mean that the MP convicted, but a procedural step will not affect something negative in the MP is to facilitate the work of the judiciary ».
Fahmy added that “we do not want the subject of immunity to be selective, especially as the House of Representatives has placed its priority on the fight against corruption.” He added that “respect for the independence of the judiciary makes us obliged to deal with such requests in a transparent manner away from any sense.”
In the same context, the legal expert Tariq Harb, the parliament has not lifted the immunity of any deputy since the first session in 2006.
In a statement, Harb said in a statement: “It did not happen that the parliament lifted the immunity of any deputy since the first session in 2006,” noting that “there is one case occurred in 2008 when the immunity of MP Mithal al-Alusi was lifted and the Federal Court revoked the parliament’s decision to lift immunity from this The deputy for unconstitutionality », adding that« returned to parliament before taking legal action against him and close the investigation ».
The head of the Supreme Judicial Council Judge Faik Zaidan has called on Monday, the House of Representatives to lift the immunity of its members «accused of corruption issues» during their duties of executive, stressing cooperation between all organs in the field of integrity issues.
Source: Al-Sabah Newspaper