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Iraq’s Defense Minister Accuses Deputies of Corruption | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iraq’s President Fouad Massoum (L), Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (R) and Ammar al-Hakim (C), leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), attend a conference dialogue among religious sects in Baghdad January 31, 2015. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily


Baghdad- Iraq’s Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, accompanied with prominent officers, has entered on Monday the Iraqi parliament to be questioned over corruption allegations brought forward by Iraqi parliamentary Alia Nasif. There, Obeidi dropped a bomb when he accused Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and several deputies of corruption.

Jabouri left the session on the spot after he became a suspect then returned after half an hour and sat among the deputies and not at the podium. Iraqi Parliament Speaker ordered forming a committee to investigate these accusations and threatened to refer to court if these allegations were proven false.

A reliable officer said that there are three corrupt things: purchases, fuel and ammunition. “Ammunition is the worst because some authorities are replacing the good U.S. ammunition with bad one”, added the officer. Member of the Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee Mohammed al-Karbouli commented, “Obeidi paused these accusations to escape interrogation and to promote himself as a hero. This way of tackling crises is immature. None of Obeidi’s accusations will be proven true”.

Jabouri announced, in a press conference, that he will file a slander lawsuit against the minister of defense. He said that he will not attend the parliament until proven innocent.

A high delegate officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the story has not begun yet, especially that the ministry of defense is one of the corruption strongholds in Iraq. “Obeidi convened with some parties on Monday including members of Security and Defense Committee to inform them that “if they insist on investigating him, he will disclose all the hidden information and will call a spade a spade”.