Iraqi MP suspends Oil Committee membership over "significant corruption"
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraqi MP Dergham al-Maliki announced that he has suspended his membership in the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee until further notice.
Al-Maliki made the decision following what he described as the "committee's failure to act on his request to summon the heads of oil authorities and fields for questioning," alleging that employment practices in the oil fields are marred by "significant corruption."
In a press conference at the House of Representatives, the MP criticized the committee for not responding to his call for an investigation. "We requested that the committee, over the past three weeks, invite those suspected of corruption within the oil bodies and fields regarding nepotism and selling jobs," al-Maliki said.
It is noteworthy that financial corruption remains a challenge in Iraq, with Transparency International ranking the country 154 out of 180 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The country also ranked fourth as the most corrupt in the Arab World after Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Libya.
Various forms of corruption, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, and influence peddling, harm the Iraqi economy.
Over the years, the pervasive corruption within the Iraqi state has resulted in the misappropriation of untold billions from its oil wealth.
After assuming his position, PM Al-Sudani pledged to "combat corruption" in government institutions; so far, many officials have been referred to the judiciary, but political and sectarian parties still protect many others.
