Commenting on the statements of the head of the Integrity Commission... Al-Maliki warns of the colla

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[size=52]Commenting on the statements of the head of the Integrity Commission... Al-Maliki warns of the collapse of the "political system"[/size]

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2024-09-05
Baghdad
The repercussions of the statements of the head of the Integrity Commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, in which he threw accusations at the judiciary regarding the case of tax deposits and the accused Nour Zuhair, continue, stressing the “weakening” of his commission.[/size]
[size=45]Today, Thursday, the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, considered the encroachment on the judiciary, government and parliament through the media a dangerous beginning whose repercussions may be “more dangerous than terrorism,” warning that this may lead to the “collapse of the political system.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Maliki said in a televised speech broadcast by his media office, “Our talk today is about the offerings of jihad, blood, and martyrs that produced for us this democratic political process whose chapters we are living, which was founded on the basis of democracy and the separation of powers in order to sustain political work and for the authorities to respect each other and for everyone to take their place in performing their work, each according to his authority.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "We have previously and on many occasions during the writing of the constitution and afterwards expressed anything that threatens the state through the disruption of the relationship between the three authorities, and we warned against any misunderstanding and the necessity for things to proceed according to the communications and understandings between them so that the political process is stable and no authority can be isolated from the rest of the authorities."[/size]
[size=45]He added, “The judiciary has all our respect and it is the authority to which we return in all crises. We have complete confidence in it and we hope that this confidence and efforts will continue in the process of controlling all matters that require a judicial decision,” noting that “the legislative authority also has its respect in performing its role in legislation and monitoring executive bodies, institutions and all issues that need to be addressed.”[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that “the executive authority that bears the burden of responsibility in managing the executive process in departments and ministries deserves its respect,” stressing that “each party performs its role if it works according to its powers. However, if there is an encroachment on the authorities or the judiciary, as we have seen in the media, or if there is an encroachment on the legislative or executive authority, this is a dangerous beginning that may be more dangerous than terrorist operations, given that targeting the infrastructure, which is the authorities, threatens the foundations of the tripartite system, as has unfortunately happened now and as is happening in some areas that complain of interference in the affairs of another authority.”[/size]
[size=45]He stressed the “necessity of respecting the judiciary and the recent events that we do not talk about negatively or positively, but rather we await the judiciary’s decision and we do not need to anticipate events before the investigations are completed,” adding, “As for the legislative aspect, it is respected and everyone inside the parliament dome must remain united to protect the legislative authority because we hear about cases of lack of cohesion and disagreements between representatives and everyone must remember their affiliation to the legislative authority and the same applies to the executive authority, which is required to cooperate with the rest of the authorities.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Maliki called on the leaders of the political parties and forces to “respect the authorities and not to transgress against them through action or media because this weakens the government and the political process, and we must rise up because such matters cannot be addressed through reconciliation or anything else because they are fundamentals and without them the political process for which we have struggled will collapse.”[/size]
[size=45]The head of the Integrity Commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, revealed from Erbil yesterday, Wednesday, in a press conference dominated by tension and shouting, that an arrest warrant had been issued against him in connection with the investigation into the “theft of the century,” stressing that Nour Zuhair “forged 114 financial instruments, and must be punished with 114 rulings,” and he revealed that he “stole 720 dunams in the Shatt al-Arab” in southern Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]“Judge Diaa Jaafar (who is trying Zuhair) is pursuing me and has issued an arrest warrant for me, knowing that the case was in Basra and was transferred to Baghdad to Judge Jaafar, but the files disappeared from him,” the judge said in a loud voice, noting that “Noor Zuhair is the vehicle in which the money was carried.”[/size]
[size=45]Political analyst Majash’a Al-Tamimi confirmed in a previous report for “Al-Alam Al-Jadeed” that “what happened in Erbil on Wednesday will be a decisive matter in the anti-corruption operations and the political scene because what happened and what Judge Haider Hanoun stated will not pass without there being a review and accountability by the judiciary, the government and parliament.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "It is clear that Judge Hanoun is under political pressure, but the reaction was negative, and making these statements in Erbil was an unfortunate decision. It would have been more appropriate for him to make these statements in the House of Representatives or in the Nuzha Committee, or to go to Maysan and from there respond to the accusations regarding his seizure of lands in the province."[/size]
[size=45]Judge Jaafar had stated last month that he was the one who issued the decision to release Zuhair on legal bail, so that he could pay the money he owed.[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that the Coordination Framework discussed, yesterday, Wednesday, what was circulated about the violations of some employees of the office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, listening to a summary from al-Sudani, who stressed the importance of “holding accountable anyone proven to have been negligent,” expressing his support for the judiciary in its investigations and procedures.[/size]
[size=45]The “theft of the century” case shook the political circles in the country, especially after the announcement of its main defendant, Nour Zuhair, then his exit from the country despite the decision to prevent him from traveling to appear before the court, then his appearance in Lebanon and before that on satellite channels threatening to “talk about names and reveal everything,” if he was tried publicly.[/size]
[size=45]On August 27, the Iraqi judiciary issued two arrest warrants against the first accused, Nour Zuhair, and the second accused, Haitham Al-Jubouri, on charges of participating in the theft of tax deposits.[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that the revelation of the theft of the century dates back to the era of former Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, in 2022, when he revealed, during his announcement of his resignation from the position of acting Minister of Finance, the theft of $2.5 billion (3.7 trillion dinars) of tax funds from the government-owned Rafidain Bank.[/size]
[size=45]In mid-July, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani considered the theft of tax deposits, known as the “theft of the century,” a black spot in the history of the Iraqi state. He pointed out that it was carried out with official cover, and revealed that half of its money was smuggled out of the country.[/size]
[size=45]The security forces arrested the most prominent suspect in the theft of the century, Nour Zuhair, on October 24, 2022, before he fled outside Iraq on a private plane from Baghdad International Airport, where the plane was prevented from taking off after he boarded it and was arrested.[/size]
[size=45]The case has sparked intense anger in Iraq, which has witnessed widespread protests in recent years demanding an end to corruption. It has become the talk of the Iraqi street, political circles, and others, to the point that its echo has spread outside Iraq to be covered by Arab and Western media outlets.[/size]
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