Shafaq News- Diyala
Diyala Provincial Council revealed on Tuesday a"large-scale manipulation" involving five representatives of woundedsecurity personnel, families of martyrs, and people with disabilities in a landallocation program.
Turki Al-Atbi, head of the council's Integrity Committee,said at a press conference that the alleged scheme involved the submission of adocument allocating 760 residential plots to wounded members of the securityforces. Names were added to official records in exchange for money, whileentitlement vouchers belonging to beneficiaries in need were purchased foramounts not exceeding three million Iraqi dinars ($2,290). The plots were thentransferred to others, despite each being worth more than 60 million dinars(approximately $45,800).
Al-Atbi said the council had launched an audit to ensureland reaches legitimate beneficiaries based on eligibility and priority ratherthan pressure or public demonstrations.
Provincial Council Chairman Omar Al-Karawi described thecouncil's role as supervisory, accusing "influential groups andmafias" of moving to obstruct oversight whenever investigations areopened, allowing corruption to expand and serve vested interests.
The disclosures followed protests earlier this week bywounded Iraqi security personnel near the Baqubah Municipality Directorate,where demonstrators demanded distribution of residential plots they say theyare entitled to.