Iraqi officials arrested in Baghdad corruption sweep
State media reported arrests of politicians, lawmakers and officials as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi pursues an anticorruption campaign.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Iraqi security forces arrested politicians, lawmakers and officials in Baghdad on corruption charges early Sunday, according to state-run Iraqi media. The arrests signal a new test of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s pledge to confront corruption and mismanagement in Iraq.
The Iraqi News Agency reported that those detained included members of parliament whose immunity had been lifted, as well as officials whose names appeared in confessions. The agency cited a security source for the account.
Iraqi authorities did not immediately issue an official statement identifying the people arrested, according to Al Jazeera. The government and security forces also had not immediately commented on the operation, Al Jazeera reported.
Operation targeted Baghdad areas
A security source told Al Jazeera that elite Iraqi security forces conducted a large arrest operation at dawn in the fortified International Zone, also known as the Green Zone, and in several Baghdad neighborhoods. The Green Zone houses key government offices and diplomatic missions.
The same source told Al Jazeera that the Counter Terrorism Service carried out the arrests. The operation was based on statements given by Adnan al-Jumaili, the deputy oil minister who was arrested last month on corruption charges, the source said.
Authorities seized about $86 million in cash this month that was allegedly linked to the corruption case against al-Jumaili, Al Jazeera reported. The reported arrests followed al-Zaidi’s public commitment to pursue corruption cases after taking office.
AP reports seven arrests
The Associated Press reported that seven people were arrested Sunday, citing a security agency report it obtained. AP said the group included five members of parliament.
Some of those detained belonged to the political bloc of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, AP reported. Al-Sudani’s bloc won the largest share of seats in November’s parliamentary elections, according to AP, but he did not return to the premiership.
AP reported that al-Sudani stepped aside after a deadlock inside the Coordination Framework, a grouping of Shia parties allied with Iran that had helped bring him to power. The parties disagreed for months over their preferred candidate for prime minister, AP said.
Al-Zaidi, Iraq’s new prime minister, has promised to tackle corruption and mismanagement that Al Jazeera said have affected Iraq for decades. Sunday’s arrests, as reported by Iraqi state media, Al Jazeera and AP, mark one of the most visible actions so far in that campaign.
The identities of the detainees and the specific charges against each of them remained unclear in the immediate aftermath of the operation, according to the available reports. No court proceedings or formal government account had been announced at the time of reporting.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.