Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi vowed on Tuesday to combat all forms of corruption in 2019, saying the threat posed by corruption matches that of ISIS. Speaking at the first meeting the newly formed Supreme Anti-Corruption Council, Abdul-Mahdi said the body is designed to bolster state agency for countering corruption.
Abdul-Mahdi stated that the objective of the Council is to take preventative measures and unify efforts to combat corruption by any party or person, regardless of their post, according to his press office. He also affirmed that widespread corruption in the country must be brought to an end as it “distorts the image of the state” and its reputation, both locally and internationally.
“We must put an end to it and consider corruption as an enemy, as we have ISIS terrorists.”
“The Supreme Council for Combating Corruption should have the necessary administrative and legal powers over corruption cases and be aware of all the details, as well as be alerted of issues that result in corruption,” he stressed.
Moussa Faraj, the former chief of Iraq's Commission on Public Integrity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq’s problem with corruption starts with the country’s executive branch. Government officials may intervene and inhibit the works of independent bodies and undermine their efforts.
Blasting the Iraqi justice system for slowing counter-corruption efforts, Faraj said that during his 14 years in public service, he had tried to get proper and detailed litigation on what is usually dismissed as a general case of work negligence among public sector employees, but has been blocked.
According to Faraj, this indicates that there is no real will to fight corruption, even if councils and bodies have been formed.
He added that the Commission on Public Integrity, according to the constitution, is an independent body subject to the control of the House of Representatives solely, but it has been wrongly placed under ministerial authority instead.
Faraj added that the formation of a new anti-corruption body, otherwise known as the Supreme Anti-Corruption Council, is illegal.
Over the past few months, the country, namely the central and southern provinces of Iraq, has witnessed regular protests against poor public services, power outages, the lack of clean water, and high unemployment.
