Iraqi News Tuesday Afternoon 8-9-22
Tlm724 Administrator Bondlady’s Corner
Al-Sadr: Reform Will Defeat Corruption In Iraq
Posted On2022-08-09 By Sotaliraq The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, said Monday in a new tweet on the social networking site “Twitter” that reform will defeat corruption in Iraq.
Al-Sadr said in his tweet, which came on the occasion of the approaching Ashura of Imam Al-Hussein (peace be upon him), which falls on Tuesday in Iraq, in which he said: “Oh God, accept our current protest stance in the Green Zone with you. “. He added: “Just as blood triumphed over the sword in kindness, so will reform triumph over corruption in our beloved Iraq.” LINK
A “Historic” Corruption Deal Fines An Iraqi Government Bank $600 Million Corruption Deal
Posted On2022-08-09 By Sotaliraq The Iraqi judiciary issued a ruling to compensate the “Ishtar Gate” company with an amount of 600 million dollars as a penalty clause against the Rafidain Governmental Bank, due to the termination of a contract by the bank.
The Parliamentary Integrity Committee confirmed that the contract bore suspicions of great corruption involving the Rafidain Bank.
The ruling sparked angry official and popular reactions, due to the great corruption in the contract between the bank and the company for electronic payment systems.
The former Minister of Housing and Reconstruction, Two Banks Rikani, wrote, “The Rafidain Bank contract and its penalty clause amounting to 600 million dollars, the electricity has been almost completely extinguished, and the gasoline is scarce… compelling evidence of the inability of state agencies to choose projects, nor to formulate contracts professionally and follow them, nor to choose contractors.
Two Rikani banks called for a comprehensive restructuring of state institutions by professionals, warning that failure to restructure the institutions would lead to more collapse. Isn’t this an outrageous injustice against the state and public money?
The journalist Abdel Samie Al-Azzawi tweeted: “The Ishtar Gate Company says that the fine clause in the contract is a consensual condition that can only be achieved by requiring one of the parties to implement the terms of the contract, which means that the Rafidain Bank “with its consent.”
Pay a fine of 600 million dollars! Iraqi activists, bloggers and academics called for those involved in the corruption deal to be held accountable, especially since the funds allocated for compensation are large and sufficient to finance many projects that the Iraqi people lack.
Al-Rafidain Bank had issued, earlier today, Monday, a clarification on the issue of the 600 million dollars, which was decided by the Iraqi judiciary as a fine in favor of the “Ishtar Gate” company.
The bank said in a statement: “It would like to clarify to the public opinion about what was reported by the media regarding the court’s decision to pay a fine to the Ishtar Gate Company, and in this regard, the bank confirms that it had the need to contract with more than one electronic payment company at the time to expand the base of competition to provide The best services for citizens at acceptable prices, as invitations were sent to electronic payment companies licensed by the Central Bank of Iraq to submit their offers.
He added: “The contract that was concluded with the Ishtar Gate Company was on 4/3/2021 by the former general manager of the bank before obtaining the Ministry’s approval according to the rules on the contract formula, as the contract violated many of the previous technical conditions that the Ministry had specified for the bidders. “.
And he continued: “After presenting the contract to the ministry and reviewing the commercial aspects of it, which grants the bidder unjustified advantages and profits at the expense of the bank’s customers, and when the ministry was informed of the conclusion of the contract, the minister directed the re-audit of the contract in the interest of the ministry on 3/9/2021 or to cancel it if necessary where no The contract should be signed only with the approval of the legal department and the information technology department in the ministry and according to the previous instructions.”
He pointed out that “the matter was referred to investigation with the withdrawal of the hand of the former general manager of the bank at the time, with the file referred to the Integrity Commission to take legal measures against the negligent.”
The bank’s statement also indicated that, “The company resorted to the judiciary to request the termination of the contract and compensation after the Ministry’s decisive procedures, and the competent court issued its decision to terminate the contract with obligating the bank to the amount of compensation, as the bank continues to follow up the legal procedures where the unfair decision issued against him was appealed in the hope of returning Consider its content in a way that secures the preservation of public money.” LINK
Alia Nassif Calls For The Arrest Of Those Involved In The Ishtar Gate Scandal… And Confirms: This Is An Innovative Method Of Corruption
Posted On2022-08-09 By Sotaliraq MP Alia Nassif: The creation of new offices for general inspectors means an increase in corruption whale deals
Representative Alia Nassif called on the Public Prosecution and the Integrity Commission to address the innovative corruption methods, which include concluding contracts that contain intentional defects, and setting a penalty clause to make companies (which are often fictitious) be able to fine the state, indicating that the Ishtar Gate company scandal is (intentional) and the fine of $600 million. You will go to an influential party.
And she said in a statement today: “The scandal of the fake Ishtar Gate Company contract with Al-Rafidain Bank is a new innovation for a type of corruption represented in concluding a contract that includes a defect and making the company benefit from the penal clause that allows a lawsuit to be instituted and the state fines huge sums,” indicating: This contract is behind an influential party that will receive the $600 million.”
Nassif added: “If the regulatory and security institutions have the courage and concern for public money, they must arrest the participants in the (Ishtar Gate scandal) and prosecute them, and that the case is not forgotten after a short period.” LINK
Washington Expresses Concern Over The Arrest Of Parliamentarians And Journalists In The Kurdistan Region
The United States of America has expressed concern about the use of tear gas in the Kurdistan Region demonstrations.
The US embassy in Baghdad said in a statement: “We are concerned about reports that talk about the use of tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators and arrest journalists, civil society activists and members of parliament in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq during the protests and the period before them, in Sulaymaniyah.”
It called on governments to protect human rights and universal freedoms guaranteed by the constitution, including freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstration, freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial with due process of law, as well as the right of journalists to practice their work freely and without interference.
The embassy urged “the authorities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to review these procedures and reconfirm the vital roles that a free press, peaceful assembly and the rule of law play in the democratic process.” LINK
To read more current and reliable Iraqi news please visit BondLady’s Corner:
https://www.bondladyscorner.com/
