07 August 2018•Update: 08 August 2018
BAGHDAD
A number of former officials, including ex-government ministers, have been referred to a parliamentary ethics committee for suspected corruption, according to a Tuesday statement released by Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's office.
“Prime Minister al-Abadi has approved a decision to refer several former government ministers and senior officials to the Commission of Integrity,” the statement read without specifying the number of former officials involved.
Iraq’s Commission of Integrity is a parliamentary committee mandated with investigating allegations of official corruption.
The referrals, the statement added, had come in response to corruption claims related to contracts awarded for the construction of schools in several Iraqi provinces.
Notably, the move comes amid ongoing popular demonstrations in Iraq’s Shia-majority central and southern provinces, which erupted early last month and remain ongoing until now.
Since July 9, the southern provinces -- especially oil-rich Basra -- have seen several popular protests to demand more employment opportunities and improved public utilities.
In an effort to contain the burgeoning demonstrations, which have since spread to capital Baghdad, the government has vowed to provide more public-sector jobs and allocate funds for local development projects.
Protest leaders, however, have expressed doubt as to the government’s ability to sufficiently address protesters’ grievances.
For years, Iraq’s political opposition has complained about poor public services and rampant unemployment in a country that earns tens of billions of dollars a year through oil sales.
Reporting by Ibrahim Saleh:Writing by Ali H. M.Abo Rezeg
