Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council initiates legal action against CoI head over false claims
Shafaq News/ The Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq announced, on Monday, that it has started legal proceedings against the acting head of the Federal Integrity Commission (CoI), Judge Haider Hanoun, due to statements he made during a press conference in Erbil the previous week, describing these statements as "false allegations."
The Judiciary's media office stated that the Supreme Judicial Council held its 10th session, presided over by the head of the Federal Court of Cassation, Judge Faiq Zidan.
According to the statement, the Council approved the reformation of the joint judicial committee between the Supreme Judicial Council and the Kurdistan Region’s Judicial Council to resolve legal issues concerning joint judicial operations.
The Council further discussed remarks made by Judge Hanoun during two separate press conferences: one at the Integrity Commission on July 1, 2024, and the other in Erbil on September 4, 2024. Based on a report from the Judicial Oversight Commission, which investigated the claims made during the Erbil press conference, the Council concluded that "Hanoun's statements were false, aimed at misleading the public, and were a reaction to legal action taken against him concerning a land plot allocated to the Real Estate Registration Department in Maysan."
As a result of the defamation against the judiciary, the Council formally requested the Third Karkh Investigation Court to take legal action against Hanoun. Additionally, the Council expressed its appreciation to Judge Diaa Jaafar, the head of the Second Karkh Investigation Court, "for his outstanding performance in handling his responsibilities."
During a press conference in Erbil, Judge Hanoun strongly criticized Judge Diaa Jaafar, in a moment of visible frustration, particularly over the handling of the "Theft of the Century" case that shook the country’s political sphere. Hanoun expressed his outrage over what he called the marginalization of the Integrity Commission and the disappearance of files related to the case of the accused Noor Zuhair, allegedly under Judge Jaafar's jurisdiction. Hanoun stressed that these developments represent a major obstacle to anti-corruption efforts and the recovery of the nation's stolen funds.
Recently, social media platforms circulated audio clips purportedly of Judge Hanoun, in which he allegedly complained about political interference in the commission’s work, particularly pressure to overlook cases of financial and administrative corruption within government institutions.
According to the recordings, Hanoun harshly criticized First Integrity Court Judge Diaa Jaafar, accusing investigators within the commission of being loyal to Jaafar and obstructing the institution’s efforts by relaying internal matters to him.
