Integrity confirms the conclusion of MOU with the US Justice

Baghdad - INA
 
The Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, confirmed today, Thursday, the Commission's intention to conclude a memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Justice, indicating that the memoranda of understanding facilitate the follow-up of requests for legal assistance and procedures for handing over those wanted in corruption cases and recovering stolen funds.

In his speech during the workshop titled (Towards a comprehensive treatment of national and transnational corruption risks) held by the National Anti-Corruption Commission in the Lebanese Republic, Hanoun said, according to a statement from the Commission - received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "We must benefit from regional cooperation mechanisms in the field of promoting integrity and combating corruption," noting that "this places the Arab Network for Promoting Integrity and Combating Corruption before its responsibility in supporting efforts aimed at diagnosing corruption phenomena and identifying and analyzing the risks resulting from them; to take the necessary measures to address them and clarify the role of each of the main parties, partners and supporting parties in this on the one hand, and in supporting the oversight efforts made to prevent, detect and combat corruption.".

Hanoun called for "intensifying the holding of conferences, forums and various workshops to benefit from the experiences of national anti-corruption bodies at the Arab level, the successes they have achieved, and the capabilities and expertise that each of them has accumulated," noting "the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding between the Iraqi Integrity Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission in Lebanon.".

He stressed "the importance of concluding such memoranda urged by the Arab and international agreements to combat corruption; in order to follow up on requests for legal assistance and procedures for handing over those wanted in corruption cases and recovering looted funds and their proceeds obtained from corruption crimes, and accelerating the procedures for implementing those requests in accordance with what is permitted by the legal system of each country.".

Hanoun highlighted the efforts of Iraqi state institutions in confronting the scourge of corruption, and the combination of those efforts; in order to curb the corrupt, noting "the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's great importance to combating corruption and placing it at the top of its priorities.".

He commended "the efforts of these institutions that contributed to the Federal Integrity Commission concluding memoranda of understanding with similar oversight bodies in many countries," noting that "the Commission intends to conclude a memorandum of understanding during this year with the Department of Justice in the United States of America.".

According to the statement, the Director General of the Department of Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations at the Commission, Moataz Al-Abbasi, presented a working paper in which he reviewed the experience of the Federal Integrity Commission and its efforts to prevent and combat corruption, open the file of money inflation and illicit gains, and launch the "Where did you get this from" campaign, touching on the educational and awareness aspects of the Commission's work to instil a culture of integrity and preserving money and establishing it among society. 

The workshop included, according to the statement, several sessions that addressed the experiences of national anti-corruption bodies in the Arab region and the lessons learned in this regard within the framework of efforts made to prevent and combat corruption,
and discussed potential areas of cooperation at the regional level in the field of preventing and combating corruption risks, and opportunities for collaboration within the framework of the Arab Network for Promoting Integrity and Combating Corruption, and provided the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings between representatives of participating counterpart bodies to explore areas of cooperation and opportunities for its development, and review the methodology for the national assessment of corruption risks in the public sector and efforts to implement it.