Sadrist movement discloses details of corrupt deals in the Ministry of Education

Shafaq News/ The head of the Prosecution and Integrity division in the Sadrist movement's Politburo, Jawad al-Shuhaili, said in a press conference on Monday that arrest warrants against two former senior officials in the Ministry of Education will be issued soon.

"There was an attempt to take over the Ministry," he said, "We received the preliminary reports of the financial oversight and integrity Commissions. Eighteen contracts were scrutinized. The remaining reports are pending. Consequently, a former minister and two directors in the Ministry were summoned to investigation."

"According to the report of the financial oversight commission, many violations were noticed. The ministry allocated 130 billion dinars to rehabilitate the Nahrain Print house."

"In 2014, the government awarded the contract to a domestic side. The latter sold the contract to sell the Contract by fivefold the value it paid and took over all the print houses of the Ministry."

"Moreover, the governorate failed to pay 130 billion dinars. The payment is yet to be paid," he added.

"Copybooks are sold for four times its production prices by a single print house that is monopolizing the industry in the country," he continued. "Huge sums are paid under the pretext of mistakes. They only change one letter or word then issue a new volume of the same curriculum less than six months later.

The Ministry's undersecretary, Hussein Sabri, said during the conference, "we proposed replacing the a partner of al-Nahrain print house. In the meeting, we voted in favor of the Education Fund in lieu of an international partners. This ensures that external parties cannot intervene."

Last month, the Commission of Integrity summoned a former Minister of Education and three senior officials in the Ministry over charges related to corruption, the Sadrist movement's Politburo said.

The statement said that the movement's legal body filed a lawsuit against the former Minister of Education, Soha al-Ali, and three directors for corruption suspicions in a case related to publishing academic curricula.

"The Court, in the light of the available official documents, decided to reopen two closed cases after new evidence that confirm the corruption and public funds wasting came into its attention," the statement added.

The Sadrist movement deemed today's decision a "first of [many] important steps to unravel corruption cases."

In December 2021, the Iraqi Judiciary sentenced al-Ali to one year in prison for corruption charges.