Iraq unites security and integrity bodies to curb corruption

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Integrity Commission and the National Security Service signed a joint agreement on Monday to track stolen assets and prosecute corruption offenses.

In a statement, the Commission described the deal as a framework for cooperation in locating suspects, enforcing arrest warrants, and tracing both movable and immovable assets tied to corruption cases. It also commits both sides to exchange and verify information, and strengthen security measures to protect institutions and documents.

The agreement, it added, extends beyond enforcement to include joint conferences, training courses, public awareness campaigns on the dangers of corruption, and the preparation and exchange of studies and research to reinforce the national integrity system and safeguard the country’s economic interests.

Read more: Iraq's corrupt maze: Oil, bribes, and broken trust

Iraq ranks among the world’s most corrupt states. Transparency International placed the country 140th out of 180 in its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 26 out of 100. Analysts trace the roots of the problem from Saddam Hussein’s regime, which entrenched patronage networks, to the post-2003 collapse of state institutions and rise of sectarian politics. Today, it endures through bribery, nepotism, and resource misappropriation, eroding public trust in government, the judiciary, and business.