Iraqi Parliament to investigate investment exemptions under Al-Sudani government
Shafaq News- Baghdad
The Iraqi parliament's Integrity Committee plans to track files concerning exemptions granted under the previous government of Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and alleged irregularities in the estimated costs of investment projects, a member of the committee, Hamed Al-Fatlawi, told Shafaq News on Monday.
Political disagreements among parliamentary blocs over the selection of committee chairs and their deputies had prevented the appointment of a head for the Integrity Committee, he added, noting that the disagreements also affected leadership positions in other parliamentary committees.
He said the failure to appoint committee heads was affecting their work and oversight performance. A parliamentary session was expected next week to vote on committee chairs and members, he said. “A session scheduled for last week was postponed because of a lack of political agreement.”
Regarding the investigations, Al-Fatlawi said the committee was examining files involving exemptions granted by the previous government and investment projects that had experienced "inflated cost estimates."
The committee intended to open these files in the coming period, he confirmed, indicating that the Integrity Committee had hosted several officials and representatives of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit to review information and reports concerning ministry projects for 2024 and 2025. “The reports received by the committee had identified numerous violations.”
Al-Fatlawi stressed that the committee would continue pursuing corruption cases and that its oversight activities were not tied to a specific timetable, adding that investigations would continue in the coming days.
The issue of investment exemptions granted under Al-Sudani's government has previously drawn widespread controversy and criticism from oversight and legal circles.
Last year, former Integrity Committee member Hadi Al-Salami said in a televised interview that Al-Sudani's government, the Higher Investment Committee, and the Council of Ministers had granted approximately 400 exemptions from laws and regulations to investment companies without requiring public announcements or tender procedures.
