Kirkuk corruption investigations uncover violations in multi-billion dinar projects

KIRKUK – The Iraqi Integrity Commission announced on Wednesday that it had uncovered violations in several projects worth up to 3 billion dinars (around $2 million), alongside irregularities in the allocation of land plots in Kirkuk.

According to a statement, the commission’s audit revealed irregularities in a 7-kilometer road paving project in the Rashad subdistrict of Daquq district. “The Kirkuk Governorate signed a supplementary contract with the company, despite 90% of the project’s total value—912,815,000 dinars (around $600,000)—already being disbursed as an advance,” the commission explained. It added, “The project scope was changed from road paving to concrete pouring for part of it, even though this modification was made before the supplementary contract was signed.” The investigation also found that the supervisory team conducted fake laboratory tests to justify the advance payments.

In another project, the commission flagged issues with earthworks and road openings behind the new Kirkuk Governorate building. This project, worth 1.72 billion dinars (about $1.13 million USD), was delayed due to obstacles not being removed along the project route, limiting its effectiveness.

Additionally, the investigation uncovered suspected corruption in the allocation of land plots to employees of the Kirkuk Directorate of Education. “The land allocation committee assigned plots without following proper evaluation criteria, and there was evidence of tampering in the allocation records,” the commission stated.

The commission has submitted records of these violations to the Kirkuk Integrity Court for legal action, ensuring accountability for the multi-billion dinar projects.

These findings highlight ongoing transparency and accountability challenges in Iraq’s public sector. In the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Iraq ranked 154th out of 180 countries, reflecting a slight improvement from 157th in 2022.