FIVE former Iraqi ministers who held posts in the interim
Government installed by the United States last year are facing
charges of corruption and abuse of power, a senior Iraqi judge
said yesterday.
Among them is Hazem Shaalan, the former Defence Minister in
the Government of Iyad Allawi, according to Judge Radhi
al-Radhi, head of the Commission on Public Integrity. Under Mr
Shaalans leadership, an estimated £1.3 billion went missing,
auditors believe.
Judge Radhi told The Times that Iraqs fight against
terrorists and insurgents had been severely handicapped by the
corruption and incompetence of the interim Government, which
was selected by the US-led occupation authority to accept the
transfer of sovereignty in June last year.
The other former Cabinet ministers under indictment are
those for Trade, Labour, Housing and Transport. The former
Transport Minister has since disappeared and Interpol has
issued a warrant for his arrest.
In one catastrophic deal, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence
paid $226 million (£128 million) for a consignment of Russian
helicopters, a deal arranged by a Polish-Iraqi ministry
employee, Judge al-Radhi said. Two helicopters were sent in a
shabby condition, so we asked them to stop the contract, but
we never got the money back.
Another $150 million was paid for weapons systems and
ammunition for the helicopters. When it appeared that the
entire deal was going to fall through, the Iraqis, who had
secured no guarantees on their purchase, were told that they
could obtain other weapons with their credit. However, they
were then told that the equipment would not be available for
another four years.
Investigating judges have prepared cases against 24
Ministry of Defence employees, including the former Defence
Minister, who was close to the US-led authorities after the
Anglo-American invasion. A spokesman for Mr Shaalan admitted
that corruption was rife in the ministry but denied that the
minister had been involved.
Judge al-Radhi, whose commission was set up last July,
said: If we had 60 or 70 helicopters, at least we could guard
the borders. If we had decent weapons and munitions this would
shorten the fight against terrorism. Thats why the Defence
Ministry case is so important for us.
In some ways, the judge conceded, abuse was to be expected,
given that the new administration had a lack of experience,
that Iraq had been ruled since the war by short-lived
governments with little accountability, and that vast sums of
money had been pumped into what was an impoverished country.
But what exasperated him most was that the ministries in
particular the Defence Ministry were under the tutelage of
British and American advisers who appeared to have been
oblivious to the vast malpractice being carried out under
their noses. What amazes me is that there were foreign
experts there at the time, he said.
Why did they turn a blind eye and say nothing? If they
were serious and honest, it would have limited the number of
both Iraqis and Americans who have been killed.
Some corruption cases have revealed a direct link between
fraud and the insurgency. In the Interior Ministry, in charge
of police and much counter- insurgency intelligence work, 450
cases are under investigation, including those of officers
suspected of selling police identity badges to terrorists.
Judge al-Radhi said that his clean-hands team were now
focusing their attention on the oil ministry, where a mafia
was operating substantial bribery and smuggling rings across
the distribution network.
Other investigations have centred on the Trade Ministry,
where racketeers have profited from the state-run food
ration-card system, and the Electricity Ministry.
British troops have seized 12 suspected terrorists,
including three Iraqi police officers. The officers were
arrested at the station that British troops attacked last
month to free two SAS troopers detained by Iraqi police. Their
arrest emphasised the fear that the British-trained force has
been penetrated by militants.
