“Theft of the second century.” A deputy reveals the details: $4.5 billion in profits from the e-Pass

[size=52]“Theft of the second century.” A deputy reveals the details: $4.5 billion in profits from the e-Passport Company[/size]

[size=45]On Sunday, independent MP Hussein Al-Sabri revealed the details of what he called the “theft of the second century” in the Ministry of Interior, indicating that the company contracting with the ministry to print the electronic passport and visa will achieve profits of more than $4.5 billion.[/size]
[size=45]The “theft of the century” (the first) is represented by the disappearance of an amount of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars (about two and a half billion dollars) from tax secretariat funds, and it was revealed by several concerned parties about two months before the end of the term of the previous government headed by Mustafa Al-Kazemi.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sabri said, “The Sky Horizon Company contracted for 20 years with the Ministry of Interior on the electronic passport and electronic visa project, which is a contract that lacks legitimacy and is illegal, and the amount of corruption in it is very large, and we call the aforementioned contract the (theft of the second century).”[/size]
[size=45]And he indicated that “every Iraqi citizen renews his passport three times within 20 years, and if we assume that 30 million citizens out of 40 million, which is the number of Iraqis, renew their passports three times during the mentioned period, then the value of the amount that the company will receive amounts to four Billions and 500 million dollars, as the fees and renewal fees amount to 50 dollars per passport.[/size]
[size=45]According to Iraqi laws, the Iraqi passport must be renewed every eight years.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sabri pointed out, “This is without calculating the population increase that occurs during the twenty years of the contract period, which is estimated at about ten million people during this period, as well as without calculating the fees for renewing the damaged passport, and we did not withdraw the fees for the electronic visa, which amount to $25.”[/size]
[size=45]And he warned that "according to the contract concluded between the ministry and the company, the citizen, when renewing the passport, pays a fee of 25,000 dinars. This goes to the Ministry of Interior, in addition to $50 that goes to the contracting company."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sabri confirmed, “We asked the Minister of Interior, in a session yesterday, Saturday, when it was hosted in Parliament, to form a committee to investigate the contract file, and the minister held the previous government responsible for contracting with the aforementioned company.”[/size]
[size=45]Yesterday, Saturday, Representative Hussein Al-Sabri considered the decision issued by the federal government, which the Ministry of Interior relied on in concluding the electronic passport contract and the electronic entry visa, “illegitimate and contrary to the law.”[/size]
[size=45]He said in a press conference held in the Parliament building that “Over the past six months, through information, documents, field visits, and written parliamentary questions, we explained to Parliament the facts of the unconstitutional and illegal procedures in Contract No. 5 of 2021 concluded between the Ministry of Interior and (Sky Horizon) regarding Electronic passport, visa and electronic portals project.[/size]
[size=45]He explained, “The contract lacks legitimacy and has no legal basis, and the invalidity of Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 21, on which the ministry relied in its aforementioned contract.”[/size]
[size=45]The deputy believed that the extent of the “great corruption” in the contract amounted to what he called the “theft of the second century,” adding, “the ability of the corrupt to encapsulate corruption among legal texts through their penetration into state institutions and their enormous ability to influence decision-makers.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sabri also called on the House of Representatives to form a real special parliamentary committee to verify the corruption of the “theft of the second century” in Contract No. 5 of 21, calling also to stop what he called “the farce of charging the cost of the contract to the citizen to issue the electronic passport under the title of wages or fees after we have made it clear.” Violations and legal breaches, while guaranteeing the amounts paid by the citizen.[/size]
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