Judiciary summons former Minister of Education to an investigation into a corruption case

Shafaq News/ A former Minister of Education has been summoned by al-Rusafa Court as a part of an investigation in a corruption case, Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity said in a statement on Sunday.

The Commission said that the investigation magistrate summoned the former minister along with a senior director-general in the Ministry in a case that a member of the Iraqi parliament seems to be involved in too.

According to the statement, the MP is accused of seizing Ministerial contracts for publishing school books.

"The investigation magistrate, per the recommendations of the Federal Commission of Integrity's investigation team, opted to summon the two defendants," the statement said.

Last Wednesday, the Iraqi Judiciary summoned a former Minister of Education and three senior officials in the Ministry over charges related to corruption.

A statement by the Politburo of the Sadrist movement said that its 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.