Ahmed al-Jubouri detained as Iraq’s anti-graft campaign continues

Ahmed al-Jubouri, the former governor of Iraq’s Saladin province, was arrested in Baghdad on Saturday on allegations that he embezzled funds from provincial contracts, according to a senior government source cited by the Iraqi News Agency.

Businessman Mohammed al-Hajaf, described as al-Jubouri’s close associate, was arrested in Saladin province on the same charges. Authorities have not disclosed how much money was allegedly taken, and neither man has publicly commented on the allegations.

Who was arrested and what is alleged

Al-Jubouri, also known as Abu Mazen, served as Saladin governor from 2013 to 2014 and later became minister of state for provincial affairs, serving from 2014 to 2015. He is now secretary general of the National Masses Party, which holds three seats in Iraq’s parliament and is part of the ruling coalition.

The arrests were widely confirmed by Iraqi media. The National Masses Party posted a photograph of al-Jubouri on Facebook with a caption praising his work for sick and poor people, but the party post did not address the allegations described by the government source.

Earlier legal scrutiny of al-Jubouri

Al-Jubouri was previously arrested in November 2019 after his parliamentary immunity was revoked over alleged criminal activity linked to the construction of student dormitories at Tikrit University. Local media later reported that he was released on bail.

Arrests follow renewed anti-corruption push

The arrests came days after the State Administration Coalition, whose parties form and support the government, reaffirmed the need to continue the anti-graft campaign and back the prime minister’s efforts.

Earlier this year, new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi took office amid growing United States pressure on Baghdad to tackle corruption and disarm Iran-backed armed groups that have targeted US facilities in Iraq. In June, security forces arrested 47 prominent politicians, lawmakers and officials, seized tens of millions of dollars and renewed attention on corruption in Iraq.