Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Iraq's Trade Ministry Still Corrupt?

Iraq’s Trade Ministry is considered one of the most corrupt in the country. The Integrity Committee, one of three anti-corruption agencies within Iraq, said that they have evidence that between $4-$8 billion has gone missing from the Ministry over the last four years. The former Trade Minister Abdul al-Falah al-Sudani is currently in prison awaiting trial for corruption, even though one of the two cases against him was recently dropped. Amongst that news, the Karbala provincial council claimed that the Ministry is still misspending its funds and cheating the public out of its food rations.

On April 25, 2010 the Karbala council accused the Trade Ministry of buying expired foods, and not providing the 5 basics promised within the ration system. The council said they had found un-edible sugar, old tea, and other decaying goods in March 2010. Karbala officially complained to the Trade Ministry about it, but they never responded. Of the five basics supposed to be included within the rations, Karbala claims only 2-3 are provided, and that the Ministry blamed it on a lack of money. If true, the Karbala case would just be another example of the on going corruption within Iraq. Despite the removal of the minister and having three other officials imprisoned, the process of stealing money from the Trade Ministry and the government in general continues in the country.

SOURCES

AK News, “Karbala council accuses Trade Ministry of corruption,” 4/25/10

3 comments:

Don Cox said...

Sugar doesn't decay in storage, so I don't see how it could become "un-edible".

Joel Wing said...

Don have to fix the link to the original story when I get home but the council said they had found sugar unfit for human consumption and other expired goods in a warehouse.

Joel Wing said...

The link to the original article by AK News has now been fixed.