Iraq and Oman finalize MoU in the field of anti-corruption

INA-  Baghdad

The Federal Integrity Commission announced on Wednesday that Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman have finalized the memorandum of understanding in the field of combating corruption.

The Commission stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, met today at the headquarters of the Commission with the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Iraq, Hamed bin Ahmed bin Aqeel."
 
According to the statement, Hanoun stressed "the Commission's determination to intensify its efforts to recover convicts and smuggled assets," noting that "this contributes to supporting the state treasury and development projects included in the government program."
 
During the meeting, he praised "the cooperation of the Omani side with the Commission in the recovery file," explaining that "the first of this cooperation was the arrest by the Omani authorities of the fugitive convicts, both the former director general of urban planning in the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works, and the former director of the Anbar Governorate Agriculture Directorate, who are wanted by the Republic of Iraq."
 
He added that "the Integrity Commission hopes that the Sultanate of Oman will be at the forefront of countries cooperating with Iraq in the file of recovering funds and convicts through its Omani counterpart (the Financial and Administrative Control Authority)," pointing to "the arrival of talks between the two parties on the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding in advanced stages; in order to exchange information and investigations about the accused wanted by the judiciary, and corruption funds smuggled abroad; in order to recover them."
 
For his part, Omani Ambassador Hamid bin Ahmed bin Aqeel expressed "the readiness of the Sultanate, represented by the Financial and Administrative Audit Authority and the rest of the competent authorities, to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Republic of Iraq, especially in the file of recovery and exchange of experiences between the two parties, in accordance with the provisions of international and regional agreements and the memorandum of understanding to be concluded with the Iraqi Commission of Integrity."
 
On the twenty-third of last February, the commission announced a preliminary agreement between the Chairman of the Authority, Haider Hanoun, and the Chairman of the Financial and Administrative Audit Authority in the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Ghosn bin Hilal Al-Alawi, to conclude a memorandum of understanding in the field of combating corruption, recovering funds and convicts, and exchanging information in this regard.