Shafaq News- Al-Diwaniyah

Iraq’s Federal Integrity Commission conducted three operations in Al-Diwaniyah, arresting five suspects accused of extortion and interfering with the fairness of official auctions and tenders.

The commission said two media workers employed by the Sawt al-Diwaniyah network were arrested for allegedly demanding money from public employees in exchange for allocating residential plots to them. The suspects allegedly sought payments from employees of the provincial sewage department and Al-Qadisiyah University.

According to the commission, the two suspects claimed that part of the money would be paid to a lawyer handling the allocation procedures and to several employees.

In two separate operations, the commission arrested two suspects, including a member of the security forces, while they were receiving money allegedly demanded from an individual in exchange for not bidding on a property belonging to the Al-Diwaniyah Municipality Directorate.

The commission also arrested an employee of the Al-Diwaniyah Education Directorate for allegedly interfering in an auction for a shop belonging to the College of Science at Al-Qadisiyah University. The employee allegedly demanded money from an individual in exchange for not participating in the auction.

The investigating judge handling integrity cases in Al-Diwaniyah ordered the suspects to be detained under Resolution No. 160 of 1983 and Articles 310, 308, and 336 of the Iraqi Penal Code, according to the Commission.