Iraqi authorities dismantle network in high-level forgery scandal
Shafaq News / The Iraqi High Commission for Combating Corruption announced on Sunday the dismantling of a network comprised of officials and personnel from five ministries, engaged in the forgery of contracts attributed to high-ranking authorities within the state.
The commission reported the apprehension of the network's leader, who served as a judicial assistant in the Ministry of Justice, as well as the apprehension of the former director of the Office of the Minister of Trade, now holding the position of General Director in the ministry.
In a statement, the agency detailed its successful dismantling of a network involving officials and personnel from the Ministries of Justice, Trade, Electricity, Interior, Defense, Reconstruction, and Housing. This network was found to be engaged in the forgery of contracts purportedly issued by senior entities within the state.
Explaining the intricate operation, the agency revealed that this was carried out in accordance with judicial memoranda from the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Investigation Court, prompted by information provided by the current Minister of Trade. The agency managed to dismantle a network focused on forging contracts and approvals attributed to ministers, particularly those related to the sale and lease of government-owned lands under the Ministry of Trade.
Further collaboration and coordination with the supporting team led to the execution of arrest and seizure orders against several individuals. Among those apprehended were a judicial assistant from the Ministry of Justice, heading the network; an accounts manager from the Ministry of Reconstruction and Housing, who impersonated the head of the contracts department within the ministry; a former intelligence and security personnel affiliated with the Ministry of Defense; a member of the Ministry of Interior; and an employee of the Ministry of Electricity. Notably, the former director of the Office of the Minister of Trade, currently serving as the General Director, was also apprehended. These individuals were involved in the fabrication and signing of contracts within the premises of one of the ministries.
The operation also resulted in the seizure of a number of fabricated approvals attributed to the Ministries of Oil and Trade, along with forged letters attributed to the Prime Minister's Office. Additionally, counterfeit seals linked to the Ministry of Trade were confiscated. The network had misled a company owner into believing they had received approvals for the sale of five plots of land under the Ministry of Trade, extracting over $3 million USD, which was handed over to the network's leader using falsified delivery receipts.
It also emphasized the establishment of formal records and the presentation of evidence, accompanied by the accused individuals and the seized criminal materials, to the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Investigation Court. The court subsequently ordered the detention of the accused individuals in accordance with the amended provisions of Decree No. 160 of 1983.
