Nasiriyah: The Federal Integrity Commission announced that it had dismantled a network of 16 employees in the Nasiriyah Municipality Directorate for committing the crime of manipulation, forgery, and harming the funds and interests of the entity for which they work.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Commission’s Investigation Office in Dhi Qar Governorate took the initiative to form a working team that moved to the Nasiriyah Municipality Directorate. Following information about suspected corruption, and after investigation and inquiry, the team was able to uncover a network of 16 employees within the Nasiriyah Municipality Directorate. Hundreds of transactions were seized in their possession to allocate residential plots of land to the directorate, in violation of regulations and instructions. The network also possessed blank documents, letters, and receipts. The team indicated that the network forged the documents and letters to achieve personal gain.

The team continued by saying that the team was able to apprehend and execute arrest warrants against 15 suspects, while one suspect remains at large. The team also found sales pledges from the owners of the residential plots in the possession of the suspects and obtained statements from them stating that they would not claim the land after the allocation was completed. They also pressured the owners of the allocation transactions to obtain their rights. For the purpose of purchasing their receipts from them, they also prepared reports of the allocation and sale of lands belonging to the directorate in violation of regulations.

The Commission noted that a formal seizure report was prepared regarding the operation, which was conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 307 of the Penal Code. The report, along with the defendants and the exhibits, was presented to the investigating judge in charge of integrity cases at the Nasiriyah Court, to complete the appropriate legal procedures against them.