Babylon: The Federal Integrity Commission announced the dismantling of a network involved in extortion and bribery in Babil Governorate. The Commission stated that members of the network were extorting money from those seeking to lease land owned by the governorate and advertised for rent, in exchange for facilitating their transactions.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, a team from the Babil Investigation Office uncovered a network consisting of the head of the Real Estate Valuation Committee at the governorate’s office, his wife, and his son, who are employees of the Hilla Municipality Directorate. The network was engaged in extorting money from individuals interested in leasing government-owned land by promising to facilitate their transactions and obtain necessary approvals.

The Commission revealed that the network operated in coordination with a number of intermediaries. An arrest warrant was executed against the accused with the cooperation of the Falcon Intelligence Cell. The accused confessed to their involvement in receiving money in exchange for facilitating property lease approvals.

The operation resulted in the seizure of documents, contracts, and bank cards found with the accused. All seized items were presented to the competent investigating judge, who ordered the detention of the accused under Article (307) of the Penal Code.