Iraq security forces arrest several officials in anticorruption crackdown
Elite Iraqi security units have carried out a large-scale arrest operation in Baghdad, detaining several politicians and officials, including MPs, on corruption charges.
Iraqi state media reported that several politicians, lawmakers, and officials were arrested early Sunday in Baghdad on corruption charges. According to a security source, elite forces, including the Counter Terrorism Service, conducted the operation at dawn in both the Green Zone and several Baghdad neighborhoods.
The arrests were based on statements provided by Adnan al-Jumaili, deputy oil minister, who was arrested last month on corruption charges. Earlier this month, authorities seized about $86 million in cash allegedly linked to the same case.
The Associated Press reported that seven people were arrested on Sunday, including five members of parliament, some from the political bloc of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Al-Sudani's bloc won the largest share of seats in November's parliamentary elections, but he did not return as prime minister after a deadlock in the Coordination Framework, a group of Iran-aligned Shia parties.
Iraq's new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has pledged to fight corruption and mismanagement that have plagued the country for decades. No official statement has been issued yet by the government or security forces regarding the arrests.
