Shafaq News-Basra
The head of theIraqi Journalists Syndicate's Basra branch, Sadiq al-Ali, called Wednesday forall corruption files relating to the southern province to be made public,demanding lawmaker Abdul Amir al-Mayahi either produce evidence for hisstatements on corruption in provincial projects or accept legal and politicalresponsibility for them.
At issue arestatements al-Mayahi, a member of the Iraqi parliament's Integrity Committee,attributed to the head of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, the country'sstate financial oversight body, relaying that presenting the audit files onBasra province's projects to the public would, in the official's words, set theprovince alight. Al-Mayahi also objected to the Board withholding its audit andinspection reports on Basra projects from legislative and oversight bodies.
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Al-Ali saidthat if the account of the Board chief's remarks is accurate, “it raisesquestions about why the facts are being kept from citizens, and that if it isnot accurate, al-Mayahi must substantiate what he put forward or bearresponsibility for it.”
Basra has paidthe price of corruption over many years through stalled projects, plunderedresources, and the impoverishment of its residents despite ranking as Iraq'swealthiest province, al-Ali said. Concealing corruption files does not protectstability, he added, but entrenches corruption and erodes public trust ininstitutions.
“Everyoneimplicated in corruption cases should be referred to the judiciary regardlessof position or influence,” he urged, calling for an end to the protection ofcorrupt officials and a move to accountability and public disclosure as theroute to recovering the rights of Basra and its people.
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