Wasit electricity official arrested for ‘falsifying records’ costing state over 349 million dinars

WASIT — Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity has arrested an official in the Wasit Electricity Distribution Directorate for manipulating billing records, a scheme that led to more than 349 million dinars (over $250,000) in losses to public funds.

“For violating his job duties and squandering public funds, the Integrity Commission has arrested an official in the Wasit Electricity Distribution Branch,” the commission said in a statement.

According to investigators, the suspect, who headed the data transfer division, altered electricity subscription multipliers and zeroed out the bills of multiple accounts in order to benefit others at the state’s expense.

“The accused confessed to preparing, signing, and completing cancellation transactions for subscribers’ accounts, even though this task falls under the jurisdiction of the Aziziyah Electricity Office and its specialized committee,” the commission said. It added that the official also manipulated billing data and canceled accounts without proper authority.

The Integrity Commission reported that the actions resulted in a loss of 349,369,550 dinars to the state.

An official report was filed, and the suspect was referred to the investigative judge handling integrity cases. The judge ordered the official to be held in detention pending further investigation.