MP holds financial and legal oversight bodies responsible for oil corruption: Recovered funds will not solve the crisis
On Friday, Abu Turab al-Tamimi, a member of the Iraqi parliament, held the financial and legal oversight departments of the Ministry of Oil responsible for the “corruption” linked to the Deputy Minister of Oil, Adnan al-Jumaili, and the Director General of the Oil Products Distribution Company, Hussein Talib, who was arrested on corruption charges.
Al-Tamimi told Shafaq News Agency that “the two departments bear responsibility for corruption because the former Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, when he granted Al-Jumaili conditional powers, stipulated that they be consistent with the regulations and laws of the Financial and Legal Control Departments in the Ministry of Oil.”
He added that “the corruption of the Director General of the Oil Products Distribution Company, who was arrested on charges of involvement in corruption cases, exceeds the cases of Adnan al-Jumaili, given that the latter does not have a support base.”
Regarding the possibility that funds recovered from those convicted of corruption cases could contribute to addressing the country’s financial crisis, Al-Tamimi pointed out that recovering these funds could be an important resource, but it is not enough on its own to address the financial crisis.
He continued, saying that “corruption in the Ministry of Electricity is more widespread and significant, but it has not received the same level of attention as corruption in the Ministry of Oil,” noting that there are “numerous corruption cases in some institutions.”
It is worth noting that the case of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Refining Affairs, Adnan al-Jumaili, has been ongoing for more than two months, and has affected deputies and officials, a number of whom were arrested in various areas of Baghdad, including the Green Zone, as part of what was known as the “Dawn Charge”.
According to government data and statements, the subsequent measures resulted in the seizure of billions of Iraqi dinars and millions of dollars, as well as jewelry and gold bullion, in homes and farms belonging to Iraqi officials and politicians.
Last July, Iraqi security forces in Baghdad arrested Hussein Talib Aboud Marouh Al-Fadhli, the general manager of the Oil Products Distribution Company, hours before he was scheduled to be sworn in as a replacement member of the Iraqi parliament.
Meanwhile, the judiciary and the Integrity Commission vowed to continue pursuing and arresting those accused of corruption, as part of a campaign launched by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi to combat corruption.
Shafaq.com