Iraqi President Barham Salih has proposed a draft law to combat corruption and recover an estimated $150 billion smuggled abroad since 2003.
Salih presented the draft law to parliament to recover the stolen funds and hold perpetrators to account.
“It will provide the necessary tools to the country’s legal system and relevant institutions to proactively combat the theft of people’s wealth,” said Salih.
“Since corruption extends beyond Iraq’s borders, combating it cannot be limited to domestic efforts,” Salih explained, pointing out that the bill “seeks to recover these funds by concluding agreements with countries, bolstering cooperation with specialized relevant international organizations and bodies and benefiting from successful global experiences to curb this phenomenon.”
The president called on the United Nations to form an international coalition to fight corruption similar to that formed to fight ISIS.
“Terrorism can only be eradicated by drying up its sources of financing that rely on corruption money,” he stated.
For his part, MP of Muqtada al-Sadr’s political alliance Sairoon, Burhan al-Maamouri, told Asharq Al-Awsat that introducing the draft law is a major step to end corruption.
If passed and properly applied, it will enable the country to put an end to money smuggling in Iraq, he added.
“The current challenge represents a historic responsibility and a national duty for the relevant authorities,” he said, adding that the political and economic crises and the implications of security, health, and other issues require action.
“Corrupt individuals should be severely punished and the smuggled funds must be recovered,” he stressed.
According to MP Hussein Arab, the parliament will study the bill, being the most important in the field of addressing corruption.
The parliament should give priority to this draft law since it is the only means to recover the looted funds, most of which are seized in foreign banks, Arab told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Media Professor at the Iraqi University Dr. Fadel al-Badrani, for his part, considered the bill one of the most significant steps that come in line with the comprehensive reform process in the country.
“It ensures recovering state funds that have been smuggled by the corrupt figures and administrations over the past 18 years.”
Legal expert Faisal Rikan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the draft law should include an article that requires relevant authorities to conclude bilateral agreements with all world countries that have financial and commercial transactions with Iraq.
These agreements should ensure these countries do not accept receiving any money by Iraqis before the approval of relevant Iraqi authorities, he stressed.
