Integrity Commission touts joint operations with security service

BAGHDAD — The head of Iraq’s Federal Integrity Commission said Wednesday that joint operations with the National Security Service had led to the arrest of senior corruption suspects and the recovery of “tens of billions” of dinars to the state treasury.

Commission chairman Mohammed al-Lami made the remarks after meeting National Security Service head Bassem al-Badri. He said the operations had executed arrest warrants against a number of senior suspects and praised the coordination between the two bodies, along with the judiciary and law enforcement, in carrying out judicial orders. Al-Lami said the campaign had also reduced the “bargaining and extortion” citizens face when seeking public services. Al-Badri said his service was ready to deepen cooperation to protect citizens from corruption.

The commission’s account came days into a sweeping campaign in which the government said dozens of current and former lawmakers, politicians and officials had been arrested, in what it called the first phase of a wider effort. State media identified 15 detainees, spanning Sunni and rival Shia blocs — among them, notably, the chairman and deputy chair of parliament’s own Integrity Committee, Ziad al-Janabi and Alia Nassif. State media said the arrests stemmed from confessions by detained former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili, held over alleged financial irregularities in the oil sector. 964media could not independently verify the figures.

The Supreme Judicial Council said last week that assets seized in the Jumaili investigation had reached more than 98 billion dinars and $11 million — a separate accounting from the recovery figure cited by the commission.