A decisive move without fanfare: a strategic step to remove the protective umbrellas from the corrupt.
It appears that serious action has recently begun between the executive and legislative branches, taking a different approach from the usual media channels. This involves moving beyond empty slogans and grandiose press releases towards intensive, practical steps aimed at dismantling financial and administrative corruption networks at their roots.
These quiet yet serious moves are being undertaken through joint coordination between the executive and legislative branches, activating high-level investigative committees with broad powers and conducting a comprehensive review of legal loopholes in investment contracts and major projects that have drained the state treasury for years.
This strategic shift, agreed upon during an extensive meeting between the Integrity Commission and the Parliamentary Integrity Committee, reflects a genuine desire to build a rigorous oversight environment based on forensic evidence and professional financial auditing, free from politicization or defamation. This paves the way for recovering embezzled funds and restoring the prestige of state oversight institutions, amidst public anticipation of the tangible results of these measures.
In this context, a parliamentary source within the Integrity Committee revealed on Wednesday details of an extensive meeting held with the Federal Integrity Commission, which resulted in a strategic agreement to resolve current and past major corruption cases and refer them to the judiciary, free from political interference.
The source told Al-Maalomah News Agency that “the meeting resulted in a bilateral agreement to proceed with resolving the cases without any pressure,” emphasizing that “if any party is subjected to political pressure to protect corrupt individuals, the parties involved will be immediately exposed to the public through the media.”
He added that “this step includes opening massive and serious corruption cases valued at tens of billions of dollars, related to suspicious government contracts and encroachments on state properties.”
The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that “the agreement also included imposing complete confidentiality and preventing the leaking of details of the cases to the media before their final resolution, to ensure they are not delayed and to expedite legal procedures and bring those involved to justice.”
Member of Parliament’s Integrity Committee, Ahmed al-Shammari, revealed the committee’s continued pursuit of corruption cases, the recovery of stolen funds, and the prosecution of fugitives involved both inside and outside Iraq. He emphasized that the amount of embezzled funds has doubled in recent years.
Al-Shammari told the Al-Maalomah news agency, “The Integrity Committee continues to pursue cases of recovering stolen funds and prosecuting those accused of corruption inside and outside Iraq, in coordination with the relevant authorities.”
He added, “The amount of embezzled funds has doubled in recent years, necessitating more effective measures to recover public funds and hold those involved accountable.”
He indicated that “the coming period will witness the opening of major and serious corruption cases concerning various state institutions, as part of efforts to combat corruption and enhance transparency.”
He affirmed that “combating corruption and recovering stolen funds are national priorities due to their role in protecting public funds and strengthening citizens’ trust in state institutions.”
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