Integrity Commission detains electricity official over $3.3M embezzlement
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity on Sunday arrested a Baghdad electricity distribution official accused of embezzling electrical cables worth more than 4.4 billion Iraqi dinars (about $3.34M).
An investigative team inspecting the Ministry of Electricity found that the warehouse manager at the Rusafa Distribution Branch had allegedly diverted the cables in coordination with two truck owners.
The operation was carried out under a warrant issued by the Central Criminal Court for Anti-Corruption under Article 315 of Iraq’s Penal Code, which criminalizes the embezzlement of public property.
Authorities completed the required legal procedures and referred the suspect to the investigating judge, who ordered his detention pending further investigation.
The “Dawn Crackdown” (Sawlat Al-Fajr) anti-corruption campaign began on June 28 under Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. Government figures recorded at least 47 detentions during its first 24 hours, while sources at the Federal Commission of Integrity put the total at 67 and expected the number of suspects to exceed 200. Electricity distribution has recorded the highest number of arrests within the executive branch, with seven cases: four in Diyala, two in Al-Diwaniyah, and one in Babil.
Read more: Iraq's Dawn Crackdown by numbers: 67 arrests explained
