Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Federal Commission ofIntegrity announced on Sunday that it had dismantled a forgery network accusedof illegally obtaining residential land plots, bank loans, and public funds inAl-Diwaniyah through forged official documents.
Investigators arrested 13 suspectsand seized more than 1,000 forged documents during coordinated raids on themunicipality, civil status, passport, and residency directorates. A judge alsoordered the seizure of 13 properties and suspended ownership transferprocedures pending the investigation.
The network, which allegedlyincluded government employees, lawyers, and other individuals operating acrossseveral provinces, is accused of processing 243 fraudulent loan applicationsusing forged endorsements and routine guarantees submitted to 12 state-ownedbanks. Authorities also uncovered forged residency certificates used toallocate 13 residential plots to ineligible recipients from outside theprovince, as well as falsified civil registry records to obtain compensation.
Among the seized documents were morethan 600 forged residency certificates and civil registry records addressed tomunicipalities, state-owned banks, and the National Board of Pensions. Investigators also alleged that the suspects submitted forged civil registryrecords to courts to claim the rights of other individuals, sent fabricateddocuments to the Martyrs Foundation, the Board of Pensions, and otherinstitutions, issued forged civil identity cards for both living and deceasedindividuals, and manipulated barcode data to create fake electronic visas forforeign countries.
The Commission estimated the valueof the properties and loans linked to the forged transactions at more than fourbillion Iraqi dinars (over US$3.04M), adding that the investigation iscontinuing to identify additional suspects and pursue legal action.
On Saturday, a source told ShafaqNews that authorities arrested three former and current senior officials from Al-DiwaniyahMunicipality in an anti-corruption operation. Last week, the Commissionannounced the arrest of four municipality employees, including the head of acommittee responsible for reviewing residential land applications, onallegations of deliberately causing financial harm to the state.
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