Integrity commission detains two for bribery

NASIRIYAH — The Federal Integrity Commission announced on Thursday the arrest of two individuals for their involvement in bribery and financial manipulation, underscoring the government’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption. Additionally, investigators uncovered over 400 million Iraqi dinars ($273,000) in wasted funds and seized expired medical supplies in the province of Dhi Qar.

During an operation at the Directorate of Real Estate Registration in Nasiriyah, the Commission’s team apprehended a surveyor in the act of accepting a bribe to unlawfully speed up a transaction, in violation of Resolution 160 of 1983.

The Integrity Commission also revealed the capture of a person accused of purchasing receipt vouchers for land transactions and various identification documents from citizens. This individual allegedly aimed to reallocate and sell these lands for profit, utilizing the names of different parties. This suspect was arrested through a strategic operation executed by the Commission’s investigative unit.

Further investigations led to the identification of significant financial mismanagement by the Dhi Qar Reconstruction Fund. The fund failed to enforce legal penalties against a contracting company responsible for a delayed electrical supply project to several villages in the Al-Dawaya district. The project, valued at over 2.3 billion dinars ($1.57 million), exceeded its completion timeline without incurring the stipulated late penalty fees, resulting in a loss of approximately 426 million dinars ($291,000).

Moreover, an inspection at the Nasiriyah Teaching Hospital by the Commission’s emergency field team uncovered the use of expired diabetes test strips on patients, highlighting serious concerns regarding patient safety and hospital administration standards.