PM Zaidi vows to press on with corruption campaign in visit to Interior Ministry

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited the Interior Ministry on Saturday, chairing a meeting to review security plans and using the occasion to reaffirm the government’s anti-corruption campaign.

Zaidi praised ministry personnel for their role in maintaining public security and said the campaign would continue, according to a statement from his media office. “The Ministry of Interior serves as the government’s frontline institution in the fight against corruption,” he said, adding that there would be “no tolerance for any corrupt individual, regardless of affiliation.” He said he had directed the Integrity Commission, the Federal Board of Supreme Audit and the security forces to keep pursuing corruption cases, calling it “a key public demand.”

The statement said Zaidi also expressed appreciation for the support the campaign had drawn from Shiite National Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, parliament, the Supreme Judicial Council, political parties and tribal leaders. Sadr endorsed the campaign on Monday as a “heroic reform campaign,” and his supporters rallied after Friday prayers in support of the government.

The comments follow Sunday’s operation, in which authorities said dozens of current and former officials were arrested in what the government has called the first phase of a wider campaign. State media said the arrests stemmed from confessions by detained former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili, and that the 15 names released so far were the first of a wider group it put at 47. 964media could not independently verify the figures.