Senior Iraqi Official Arrested on Corruption Charges

Iraq's former deputy minister of electricity Raad al-Haris | Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraq's former deputy minister of electricity Raad al-Haris | Asharq Al-Awsat
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Senior Iraqi Official Arrested on Corruption Charges

Iraq's former deputy minister of electricity Raad al-Haris | Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraq's former deputy minister of electricity Raad al-Haris | Asharq Al-Awsat

Special security forces in Iraq on Tuesday arrested Raad al-Haris, advisor to Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and the country’s former deputy minister of electricity, over charges linked to corruption and mismanagement.

The arrest is the first of its kind to affect an advisor of Kadhimi.

According to a document released by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, an arrest warrant was issued against Haris based on a complaint filed against him by the permanent investigation committee.

Kadhimi, last September, had ordered the formation of a permanent committee focused on investigating cases of corruption and high-profile crimes.

The committee is headed by human rights officer Ahmed Taha Hashem and includes representatives of the intelligence and national security agencies and the Iraqi Commission of Integrity.

Haris, according to the Supreme Judicial Council, will face trial based on a penal code issued in 1983 which entails fines and jail time that can go up to ten years.

It is worth noting that Haris has worked as Iraq’s deputy minister of electricity for ten years before becoming Kadhimi’s advisor.

For many Iraqis, the Electricity Ministry is one of the most corrupt government bodies in the country.

Since 2003, the ministry has spent over $60 billion but failed to build a sufficient power network that meets the electricity consumption demand of Iraqis.

Given the complex and difficult nature of the electricity file and the astronomical squandering associated with it, the Iraqi parliament decided to form a special committee to probe contracts signed by the ministry.

The head of the probe committee and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hassan al-Kaabi, revealed that a preliminary report has been written on the billions of dollars squandered, administrative violations, and major corruption files.

Even though a report has been prepared, the committee is yet to disclose the results of its investigations.

State of Law Coalition lawmaker Aliya Nassif welcomed the arrest, blaming Haris for destroying the country’s electricity sector.

“We have previously released dozens of data that uncover corruption related to this mogul (Haris),” Nassif said.

She also expressed hope towards the probe committee succeeding in restoring all the funds plundered by Haris.



Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday, the State Department said.

Dermer updated Blinken on operational changes and policy decisions taken by Israel in response to a US letter sent in October, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.