Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sovereignty Alliance, speaks during an interview in Baghdad.
Sunni leader Khanjar backs anti-corruption raids
BAGHDAD — Sovereignty Alliance leader Khamis al-Khanjar endorsed Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign on Sunday, calling the judicial and security measures launched in Baghdad and several other governorates “a great step to enforce the law.”
In a statement, Khanjar, who leads a Sunni bloc, said the campaign sought to pursue corruption cases and recover state funds by enforcing the law against those proven to have misused public money or “exploited public office for illicit gains.”
He praised the roles of Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zaidan and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, saying their efforts to protect public funds reflected the importance of combating corruption as “one of the main pillars of building the state and restoring citizens’ confidence in its institutions.”
Khanjar called on political forces, civil society organizations, media outlets and national figures to support the measures, reject any attempt to obstruct or influence the investigations, and “not provide cover for any corrupt person, regardless of their position or affiliation.”
He did not comment on the specific people detained so far, including Muthanna al-Samarrai, leader of the Azm Alliance, another major Sunni bloc.
Khanjar is a Sunni businessman and politician who leads the Sovereignty Alliance, known as Al-Siyada, one of Iraq’s main Sunni blocs.
The statement followed a sweeping operation earlier Sunday that Iraqi authorities said led to the arrest of dozens of current and former officials. State media said the arrests were based on confessions by detained Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili, and that the 15 names released so far were the first group in a wider investigation it said involved 47 detainees whose identities would be released later. Jumaili, who served as deputy oil minister for extraction affairs, was detained earlier this month over alleged financial irregularities in the oil sector. Authorities have disclosed few details about the investigation beyond confirming he was in custody, but state media has repeatedly linked Sunday’s arrests to confessions made during his interrogation.
Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, also endorsed the government’s anti-corruption campaign on Sunday, calling it a long-awaited step and urging authorities to continue “until the end.”