Monday, an official source revealed the total amount of the theft of tax deposits, while indicating that those involved in facilitating the checks were placed in prison.  The source said, according to the official agency:

“The total amount of the theft of tax deposits amounts to 3 trillion and 800 billion and 57 million dinars.”  [$2,900,806,870 USD]  He added,   “This amount was stolen via checks from the depository bank account at the banks and belongs to various foreign companies.”

 He stated that  “all the names that facilitated the process of issuing the instruments within the Tax Authority have been arrested and are now in prison,”

pointing out that a Chinese company, among the companies that were deposited with the tax deposits, confirmed that it had not been granted any transfer letters allowing the withdrawal of these amounts.

The head of the Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, had previously confirmed that the Ministry of Finance and the General Tax Authority provided us with the amount of the theft of the century, indicating that the theft of the century contains within it “the head of corruption.”  https://observeriraq.net/الكشف-عن-القيمة-الكلية-لـسرقة-القرن/

Corruption In Iraq With “Political Protection”.. Parliamentary Bloc: We Identify The Corrupt And Cannot Hold Them Accountable

Politics | Yesterday, 10:02 |Baghdad today – Baghdad  Today, Monday (September 2, 2024), the Parliamentary Amal Bloc confirmed that there is protection for some corrupt and negligent people that prevents the Iraqi Council of Representatives from exercising its role in holding them accountable.

The head of the bloc, Representative Yasser Al-Husseini, told “Baghdad Today” that “there are negligent people and there are many great suspicions of corruption in various ministries and on the work of some ministers, but

at the same time there is political protection that prevents these people from being held accountable and interrogated in the House of Representatives, by the controlling parties.” On the governmental and parliamentary scene.  Al-Husseini stated,

“Many of the representatives and parliamentary committees identify many cases of negligence and suspicions in the work of the ministries and some officials,

but any move by these representatives results in pressure to prevent any move for accountability or interrogation, and

for this reason you find the House of Representatives without a real oversight role due to the political protection of negligent and corrupt people.”.

Iraq is classified among the most corrupt countries in the world, in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2023 issued by Transparency International, as Iraq ranked fifth among the most corrupt countries in the world.

The former Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Jeanine Plasschaert, confirmed during her recent briefing on Iraq before the UN Security Council that corruption is still continuing in Iraq, noting at the same time that its treatment is not at the required level.

This was also confirmed by the German Ambassador to Iraq, Christiana Homann, in her first appearance after assuming the position, where she said,

“Yes, there are German investors who were asked to pay some kind of bribes and royalties in exchange for obtaining contracts, but they did not pay, as the matter is illegal in our country and they will be punished.” The law if they do so.

Iraqi officials do not deny the existence of rampant corruption in state agencies, through their political speeches and seminars to the media.

Everyone knows that the only issue that the political forces participating in the government have agreed upon is dividing the ministries and state institutions and turning them into sources of rent for them.

This deep-rooted corruption is a serious obstacle to the country’s development, undermining people’s confidence and paralyzing all efforts to provide basic services to citizens, according to observers.

https://baghdadtoday.news/257005-الفساد-في-العراق-بـحماية-سياسية.-كتلة-نيابية-نشخص-الفاسدين-ولا-نستطيع-محاسبتهم.html

A Legal Document Detailing The Opening Of Corruption Files In Previous Governments

September 2, 2024  Baghdad/Iraq Observer  Followers commented on the government’s efforts to fight corruption by saying:

“This is credited to the government of Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, which has shown a significant decline in corruption operations and in various official sectors, while they indicated that

those who work to distract it from its national approach confirm that it is from the opposite side of some of the parties that were attacked.” Its interests, which have no balance due to it.  They said:

“The campaigns aimed at arousing public opinion and obstructing the state’s work in various fields mean that there are those who insist on backwardness and barbarism,” while

they commented on the inaccurate information that was provided to divert the investigation from its correct path, and that

direct accusation of the government regarding issues that are now subject to judicial review.

“It confirms once again that they have been banned and may be involved in corruption cases.”

And you have life in retaliation

In turn, legal researcher Ali Al-Tamimi confirmed:
“The Sudanese President’s opening of an investigation into the raised cases of corruption, eavesdropping, fraud and fraud in previous sessions is a legal procedure in accordance with Article 17 of the State Employees Discipline Law and also Articles 15 and 16 of the Cabinet Regulations 2 of 2019.”

 Al-Tamimi told the  “Iraq Observer” agency that what the committee decides is what is binding either on referring the accused to the judiciary and everyone whose name appears in the investigations or making administrative decisions regarding withdrawal and residency, and

this approach is what the Sudanese government clearly confirmed in the ministerial curriculum.  The legal expert explained:

“The major campaign launched by the Integrity and Crime Follow-up Commission in accordance with the principle that no one is above the law, including those accused of special degrees, whatever they may be, is an approach that is consistent with the goals of criminal punishment that aim to deter and achieve social justice.

It is also consistent with the philosophy of criminal law that It aims to prevent the commission of crimes in the future, according to the principle of cleaning the ladder from top to bottom.  According to Al-Tamimi:

“This campaign needs to be implemented retroactively, especially since these crimes are not subject to statute of limitations or the passage of time, and

they relate to public funds in accordance with Article 27 of the Iraqi Constitution, and it follows an internal and external line in terms of recovering the accused and the funds.”

The legal expert pointed out that this needs to be accompanied by a media and awareness campaign about the seriousness of these crimes and their harsh punishments according to Iraqi laws. Also,

we should not forget the role of clerics and schools and we suggest that these crimes be taught in schools and colleges, to work according to a future strategy.  He stated:

“The Integrity Commission also dared us with another principle, which is money before the accused, and it also helped in recovering the looted money internally and externally.

  He concluded:
“A step in the right direction, and we appeal to the brothers working in the Integrity Commission to take these measures that we are in dire need of, in order to preserve our beloved society.”

National approach

Government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi said yesterday, Sunday, that the

government is continuing to fight corruption, while noting that there are those working to distract it from its national approach.  Al-Awadi said in a statement:

“The government, based on its commitment and legal responsibilities, is following misleading campaigns aimed at obstructing its work in various fields, including the inaccurate information that was presented that contains innuendo, and

some of it includes direct accusations against the government regarding issues that are now subject to judicial review, as it waits.”

What will be issued by the executive authority in this regard, with the government’s continued emphasis on adherence to the law and respect for judicial decisions.”  He added,

“The government emphasizes continuing to fight corruption and all forms of infringement of the law, in continuous and close cooperation with the judicial and legislative authorities.

In this path, it also relies on the vigilance and awareness of the citizen so that he does not become a victim of those who distort the facts and deliberately mislead public opinion.”  He pointed out that

“there are those who are working to drag the government and distract it from its national approach through desperate attempts that do not stand up to the real and actual legal measures that the government is working to implement and support.

The past two years of the government’s life have demonstrated the strength of will in this direction and the continued determination to implement reforms.”

And do not neglect public rights, regardless of the pressures and consequences.”

https://observeriraq.net/قانوني-يسرد-تفاصيل-فتح-ملفات-الفساد-في/

What Do Foreign Oil Companies Have To Do With The Theft Of The Century? Expert Explains
Many countries suffer from the phenomenon of tax evasion, as it is something that these countries are accustomed to.

The issue of evading taxes by some companies is normal and possible, but what is happening in Iraq is an attempt to extend the responsibility for financial violations to these companies.

Although financial violations were detected in the taxes paid by foreign oil companies during the period between 2017 and 2021, they are considered accumulations over several years.

In this regard, Hammam Al-Shamaa, professor of economics at the University of Baghdad, confirmed that the  process of tax evasion or the presence of violations between the amounts calculated by the General Tax Authority and what the companies charged with paying the tax are trying to evade as much as possible is a normal issue.  Al-Shamaa told the Iraq Observer,

“The laws in Iraq are not so strict as to make tax evasion a major crime and entail severe penalties, and the  tax evasion or violations referred to by the Financial Supervision Bureau are accumulations that have resulted over several years, amounting to approximately 350 billion dinars.”

He added,   “These violations are not always in the interest of the state.

The General Tax Authority, through the assessor or the responsible party such as the company’s accountant, carries out a kind of bargaining with the company in question to reach an agreed upon number, after which payment is made by the company.”  He continued,

“But it also appears that the General Authority for Taxes has not held companies accountable, as it has made money accumulate such that tax deposits have become idle, and

there is an attempt to shortchange companies, not just Nour Zuhair with the scandal of theft of the century and tax deposits, as some are trying to extend responsibility to companies.”

The annual report for 2023 issued by the Financial Supervision Bureau revealed that there were differences of more than 366 billion dinars between the amounts calculated by the General Authority for Taxes based on the books of the Ministry of Oil and the amounts paid by foreign companies.