Four arrested in Diyala over forged wheat marketing applications

DIYALA — Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity on Saturday announced the arrest of the director of the Bani Saad Agriculture Division and three employees in Diyala on charges of forgery and fictitious marketing tied to the government’s 2024–2025 wheat marketing plan.

According to a statement from the commission, a team from the Investigation Office in Diyala, including personnel from the Control and Investigation Division, carried out operations at both the Diyala Directorate of Agriculture and the Bani Saad Agriculture Division. The suspects were arrested for submitting fraudulent applications designed to include non-farmers in the upcoming wheat marketing program.

Investigators uncovered forged land ownership documents covering 370 dunams (about 91 acres) and evidence of manipulation in official paperwork. “The team was able to seize the original marketing transaction for wheat related to these lands,” the commission said.

The suspects were arrested before any marketing permits were issued. An official seizure report was filed, and the individuals were referred to a competent investigative judge, who ordered their detention pending further legal action.