Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Salman Jabbar, director of Qalat Sukkar Municipality in Dhi Qar province, resigned on Wednesday, citing pressure to approve changes to land-use designations and expedite several projects despite legal concerns.

In a video obtained by Shafaq News, Jabbar outlined several reasons for his resignation, including pressure to change the designated use of plots in the eastern Aqiliya area from residential to green space.

Jabbar also said officials had pushed the municipality to facilitate a real estate development project despite its conflict with the approved land-use plan. “The site is designated for services, and procedures related to the project had been suspended by the Prime Minister’s Office.”

He further cited “unlawful pressure” to proceed with a stadium project in the Military Neighborhood, despite complaints pending before the relevant courts.

According to Jabbar, officials were also trying to force the municipality to expedite procedures for a property behind Sumer University that is designated as an educational complex. He also pointed to a shopping mall project that faced several legal issues, adding that “some municipal employees had raised objections about its feasibility while officials continued to push it forward.”

Dhi Qar Governor Haider Ghani al-Husseini ordered an urgent investigation into the claims made in the video, saying the relevant authorities would verify the allegations and, if confirmed, take legal action against those responsible. 

“The legal action would also be taken against Jabbar if the information and allegations were found to be unsubstantiated,” he added.

Jabbar’s resignation comes amid a broader investigation into alleged corruption involving property allocations and transfers in Nasiriyah, the provincial capital.

On Tuesday, a security source in Dhi Qar said Nasiriyah Municipality Director Mohammed Jabbar Dhaif and his cousin had fled to an undisclosed location after arrest warrants were issued for them by the province’s Integrity Investigation Court.

A day earlier, another security source told Shafaq News that a team from the Integrity Commission, accompanied by a large security force, raided the home of the brother of former lawmaker Dawood al-Aidan and arrested him.

Iraq’s Federal Integrity Commission said Monday it had uncovered a network involved in manipulating and falsifying procedures related to the allocation and transfer of properties at the Nasiriyah Municipality. The commission said the former municipal director and several employees had been arrested under judicial warrants.

Nasiriyah’s Integrity Investigation Court had previously issued arrest warrants for eight municipal employees. The investigation later expanded to include employees at the real estate registration department, transaction intermediaries, and other individuals in connection with the same cases.