We are waging decisive war against corruption, Al-Sudani says

 
 
Baghdad-INA
 
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Tuesday, stressed that recovering the funds from abroad is one of the government's priorities, while noting that the fight against corruption is decisive one.

Al-Sudani said during his visit to the headquarters of the Commission Integrity (COI), and meeting with COI Commissioner,, his deputy and the advanced cadre, that “The first criteria in the government's dealings with other governments is the extent of cooperation with Iraq in the fields of handing over the convicts and recovering the smuggled funds, as the diplomatic effort will be coinciding with the procedures of the COI in order to enable Iraq to recover its smuggled funds."

Al-Sudani called "To form a supportive team for COI , that does not contradict with the its jurisdictions and tasks entrusted to it in accordance with its amended effective law No. 30 of 2011, expressing his readiness "to provide all the needed support, whether at the level of executive procedures or legislative efforts to enact laws that fight corruption."
 
We are waging a decisive battle against corruption, and as we fought and defeated ISIS, we are now striving to work with the same strength and determination in our battle against corruption that hinders investment, services and development projects, Al-Sudani added.
 
 
He also urged "providing preventive measures and cultivating a culture of integrity, ethics and honesty, preserving public money, and preventing employees from being involved in violations or corruption crimes."
 
For his part, COI commissioner, Alaa Jawad Al-Saadi, elaborated some of the obstacles that may hinder the commission’s work in its tireless efforts to combat corruption.
 
 
Al-Saadi stressed that "some countries do not cooperate with Iraq in the field of recovering its stolen money, and we need to compel government agencies not to conclude any contract or facilitate investment operations inside Iraq with the governments of countries that refuse to cooperate in this essential field."
 
For his part, the deputy of COI commissioner, Madher Turki Abed, suggested “Amending some laws, to give the commission some judicial powers, including: the right to charge, issue summoning orders, travel ban and arrest warrants.