Iraq addresses America regarding 14 files related to convicts

Baghdad-INA


 
The Integrity Commission called Thursday for overcoming obstacles imposed by the laws of some countries that prevent Iraq from recovering the convicts and its smuggled assets, while confirming that the US side did not respond to Iraq's communications about 14 files related to convicts residing in the United States.
 
A statement by the commission, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), stated that "the head of the commission, Alaa Jawad Al-Saadi, met at the commission's headquarters a delegation from the judicial attaché and representative of the Treasury Department at the US embassy, Elen Andressi," noting that "during the meeting, ways of cooperation and closer communication between the two parties were discussed, and the possibility of providing legal assistance in the investigation of major corruption cases of international dimension and the recovery of convicts and smuggled assets.
 
Al-Saadi praised the role of international partners in assisting the commission in the fight against corruption, and the cooperation and support it provides to the national oversight bodies to carry out its tasks in reducing corruption and preserving public money, especially in the field of recovery in accordance with the provisions of Chapter V of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, calling to "overcome the obstacles imposed by the laws of some countries that prevent Iraq from recovering the convicts and their smuggled assets, including dual nationality, as well as other reasons, such as the integration of those funds into the economies of those countries, which constitutes an obstacle to the success of these efforts."
 
In turn, the director of the recovery department at the commission, Moataz Al-Abbasi, reviewed "some files related to the field of recovery," noting that "14 files related to convicts residing in the United States of America, for which there were no answers from the American side, for legal reasons such as dual citizenship or their acquisition of residency in the United States".
 
he called for "closer cooperation between the two parties, identifying competent authorities in this file, to overcome the obstacles facing Iraq, represented by the Integrity Commission in this field, and communication between the Iraq Funds Recovery Fund with the US Treasury to exchange information about the money of the former regime and some people on the UN sanctions list to ensure that the funds are not seized when they are transferred to Iraq.
 
 For her part, the attaché of the Ministry of Justice at the US Embassy, Elen Andressi, "expressed her country's readiness to cooperate with Iraq in the field of legal assistance to recover assets, convicts, and smuggled money," explaining that "the delay that may occur in the file of recovery with Iraq is due to poor information, dual nationality, and the defendants obtaining legal residence.