">Forum Views () 
">Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
Iraq leader vows to end corruption amid scandal  
 
 
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
Navigation
Primary Navigation
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
 
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
 
Search
 
 
Search:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Iraq leader vows to end corruption amid scandal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Reuters - Thursday, May 28
By Aseel Kami
ADVERTISEMENT
  
BAGHDAD - Iraq has launched a campaign to arrest almost 1,000 officials for corruption, the government said on Wednesday, after the trade minister resigned amid claims family members made millions in kickbacks from sugar purchases.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said during a visit to the rudderless Trade Ministry his office would take control of the ministry's functions and a committee would take over Iraq's massive grains and foodstuffs purchasing programme.
"We will not keep silent about corruption after this day and we will chase all the corrupt and bring them before the judiciary," Maliki said in a statement.
Rahim al-Ugaili, who heads the Iraqi integrity commission, said it had issued 387 arrest warrants in April alone, including for 51 officials who ranked as department heads.
The commission still had 997 arrest warrants it had not enacted, he said, and Maliki had instructed the security forces on Sunday to launch a campaign to arrest all of those.
Endemic graft is seen as a significant threat to Iraq's progress and stability as it begins to emerge from the years of bloodshed unleashed by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Officials estimate billions of dollars are embezzled or paid in bribes for government contracts, hurting Iraq's ability to rebuild its shattered economy and infrastructure at a time when low oil prices are cutting into state revenues.
The Trade Ministry scandal has embarrassed Maliki as he prepares to contest a parliamentary election early next year.
Maliki on Sunday accepted the resignation of Trade Minister Abdul Falah al-Sudany over corruption allegations that involved two of his brothers and a nephew among nine officials. One brother has been arrested and the other is at large.
The ministry buys hundreds of thousands of tonnes a year of sugar, lentils, grains and other food and basic household goods to supply a national ration programme.
Once the heart of the ancient world's fertile crescent, drought and underinvestment in farming have turned Iraq into a top rice and wheat importer.
Sudany himself has not been charged. The ministry has denied the graft accusations.
Maliki said Iraq's purchases of foodstuffs would now take place through a committee formed of officials from his office, the cabinet secretariat, the corruption watchdog and the audit department.
"It will buy foodstuffs in a swift and proper manner and sign agreements with the world's big companies to buy essential foodstuffs without the use of intermediaries," he said.
 
 
 
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
 
 
     
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
 
Related Articles: World
US steps up pressure over Israeli settlementsAFP - Friday, May 29
Germany still hopes for deal after Opel talks stallAFP - Friday, May 29
Israel dismisses US demand on settlementsAFP - Friday, May 29
GM says US to own 72% under bankruptcy planAFP - Friday, May 29
Scores hurt as riots mar Barcelona celebrationsAFP - Friday, May 29
 
 
 
 
Most Popular – World
 
 
 
 
 
 Viewed
 
 
 
 
Canada's governor eats raw seal heart
 
 
World first: Japanese scientists create transgenic monkeys
 
 
Germany still hopes for deal after Opel talks stall
 
 
NZealand zookeeper killed by white tiger: police
 
 
Vitamin D boosts brain power in middle-aged men
 
 
View Complete List »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy 
- Terms of Service 
- Community 
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy 
- Help
        
    
   
 
Other News on Friday, 29 May 2009 Up to 35 insurgents killed in Afghanistan: officials  
Russian 'Jungle Book' girl adapting to daily life  
Blogging guru chips away at Great Firewall of China  
Talent judge defends singing sensation Boyle  
Time Warner to spin off ailing AOL  
Blast at mosque in Iran's Zahedan kills 30: report
| International
|  
Scores hurt as riots mar Barcelona celebrations  
Iceland govt asks parliament to vote on EU membership  
Israel dismisses US demand on settlements  
Chatty Chavez begins Venezuelan talk-show marathon
| International
|  
Mexican trains, trucks hijacked in new crime wave
| International
|  
German unemployment rate falls to 8.2%  
GM bankruptcy takes shape with US in charge  
Lawmakers step down over British expenses scandal
| International
|  
It's a girl: Thai zoo says panda cub is doing well  
Seven charged with sectarian murder in Northern Ireland
| International
|  
Obama to meet Palestinian leader Abbas  
Verizon to sell Palm Pre, new BlackBerry Storm
| Technology
|  
EU to study how Google Books impact authors
| Technology
|  
Sony Ericsson unveils gesture gaming phone
| Technology
|  
NYC police seek clues to explosion at Starbucks  
OPEC holds output steady, sees economic recovery  
Pakistan's forex reserves rise to $11.19 bln  
S.Korea bank shares soar on hopes of M&A, lower capital  
Wired South Korea mourns ex-president online  
Judge says Boyle threatened to quit
| Entertainment
|  
Family movies on way Up at box office
| Entertainment
|  
Tom Sizemore arrested on drug warrant
| Entertainment
|  
Depeche Mode singer has tumor removed
| Entertainment
|  
DreamWorks to release five films every two years
| Entertainment
|  
Indonesian court clears company, govt on mud disaster  
Chatty Chavez begins Venezuelan talk-show marathon
| Entertainment
|  
Just a Minute With: Japan's Oscar-winning Yojiro Takita
| Entertainment
|  
Global newspaper sales inched up in 2008: industry body  
Dutch city to close cannabis cafes near schools  
Crisis hits iconic Christian Lacroix  
Marcel Marceau auction raises $680,000  
Italo renaissance sparks electro-music rethink  
U.S. slams British press over report of abuse photos  
Irish EU vote seen as litmus test  
South Korea worries North may take more action
| International
|  
Dell quarterly net profit down 63 percent  
Blast at mosque in Iran's Zahedan kills 30  
Bullish OPEC banks on demand bounce  
Over 20,000 died in Sri Lanka rebels' defeat: report
| International
|  
Future of newspapers is digital: Murdoch  
Georgia struggles for EU's ear: president  
Iran mosque bombing kills 19 worshippers: agency  
GM bankruptcy takes shape with US in driver's seat  
Weeping South Koreans pack streets for Roh's funeral
| International
|  
Ancient eruption 'killed off world's sea life'  
Microsoft unveils new Bing search engine  
Up to 35 insurgents killed in Afghanistan: officials  
Obama meets Abbas, presses Israel on settlements
| International
|  
Israeli troops kill a Hamas leader in West Bank  
Stem cell breakthrough gets closer to the clinic  
Color Kindle 'multiple' years away: Amazon CEO  
35 militants killed in Afghanistan: U.S. forces
| International
|  
Nineteen die in Iran mosque bombing: governor
| International
|  
Zhao's Chinese memoirs go on sale in Hong Kong
| International
|  
Iraq leader vows to end corruption amid scandal  
Big quake off Honduras kills 6, crumbles houses
| International
|  
Victims recall U.S. abuse; other Iraqis shrug
| International
|  
SKorea, US troops raise alert after NKorean threat  
Deadly Pakistan blasts kill ten  
Dalai Lama named honorary citizen of Warsaw  
Obama meets Palestinian leader Abbas  
Bombs and gun battle rock Pakistan's Peshawar  
UN rights chief presses for Sri Lanka probe  
Dell aspires to be top Asia PC brand by 2012
| Technology
|  
Myanmar slams foreign interference over Suu Kyi  
Utah workers criticize voiding of drilling leases  
Xbox 360 to show Sky live and on-demand programming
| Technology
|  
Boulder cops say 3 dead in planned murder-suicide  
Australia isolates ship, orders swine flu vaccine  
Man pleads not guilty to killing Chandra Levy  
Pakistan seeks English version of Mumbai evidence  
Japanese industrial output up 5.2 percent in April  
China to crack down on Internet bars: state media  
S.Korean bonds edge up early, production data eyed  
Seoul shares open higher; pressured by banks  
Japanese consumer prices down 0.1 percent in April  
AirAsia quarterly profits up 26 percent  
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui to raise up to $8.3 bln  
Microsoft Rolling Out New Search Engine Called Bing  
U.S. To Host Leaders Of G-20 At September Summit In Pennsylvania  
Nobel Prize-Winning Viagra Maker Dies At 92  
Florida Eyeing Bounty To Wipe Out Everglades Scourge  
Britons see French as sexier, but less witty: poll  
Leno move shakes up U.S. television
| Entertainment
|  
H1N1 Flu Kills Illinois Man, Third Death In State  
Singing sensation Susan Boyle 'considered quitting show'  
Steve Martin hits U.S. chart with banjo music
| Entertainment
|  
U.S. President Meets With Palestinian Authority President On Advancing Mideast Peace  
One in 4 kids in US is Hispanic, not recent immigrant: report  
Wall Street Rallies As Treasury Concerns Ease  
Microsoft Hopes Bing Has Big Bang  
Dr. Dre debuts Detox in Dr. Pepper ad
| Entertainment
|  
FDA OKs New Ankle Prosthesis  
Producer recruiting military for film projects
| Entertainment
|  
New Low Cost Airline Offers Nine Dollar Flights  
Tom Sizemore arrested on drug warrant
| Entertainment
|  
Spielberg's Tintin to unspool in late 2011
| Entertainment
|  
Cheap Trick selling new album online
| Entertainment
|  
Captain and Somali pirates set to go Hollywood
| Entertainment
|  
Rihanna to testify in Brown case
| Entertainment
|  
Russia, Belarus talks end in 'scandal': press  
Death toll from Iran mosque bomb up to 23: reports  
Opel future in the balance as bidders stall  
Myanmar's Suu Kyi ill, court delays trial
| International
|  
Book-burning row clouds Egypt's bid for UNESCO job  
'Old woman' wows China's Pop Idol clone: report  
Warships block vessel from rebel-held Somali port
| International
|  
GM tweaks rescue plan as Chrysler back in court  
Cyclone strands millions in India and Bangladesh
| International
|  
Countries destroying cluster bomb stockpiles: report
| International
|  
Iran official says mosque bombers hired by US  
12 face federal human trafficking charges  
White House downplays North Korea's threats  
Clinton warns N. Korea against belligerent actions  
Six Wounded After Rap Group Opens Fire At Austin Nightclub  
Court Upholds Taking DNA Samples From Indicted Federal Felons  
Court upholds 'not guilty' ruling on ex-Samsung boss  
Concluding A 60-Day Review, Obama Bolsters National Security With Cyber Czar Position  
Asia, Middle East to boost defence spend: Boeing  
Obama Administration Orders Year-Long Ban On Roadless Forest Activities  
S.Korea output rising but no sign of recovery  
U.S. Economy Shows Sign Of Recovery As It Contracts By 5.7% In First Quarter  
Seoul shares up led by techs, autos; banks fall  
NZ dollar sits at highs after budget; bonds gain  
Major Newspapers Hold Unpublicized Meeting In Chicago  
Nader: McAuliffe Tried To Bribe Me In 2004  
Pakistani c.bank buys back 21.4 bln rupees of bills  
Insider Poll Says Republicans Shouldn't Block Sotomayor's Appointment  
Burris Blames State Impeachment Panel For Not Asking About Wiretapped Call  
Update: Tropical Depression 1 Steers Clear Of Land  
China: green rules for overseas investors  
Geithner to reassure China on investment  
Ebbing violence heralds IT boom in Indian-Kashmir  
Leno move shakes up U.S. television
| Entertainment
|  
Congress party allots flats to Slumdog child stars
| Entertainment
|  
S.Korea's pension fund to cut U.S. bond holdings  
Internet sensation Boyle bids to win TV show final
| Entertainment
|  
At National Bee, kids vie to be US best speller  
Music producer Spector faces sentencing for murder  
Victims slam govt over Indonesia's mud volcano  
Tough anti-smoking measures split Croatia  
Hungarian towns in horse race to attract tourists  
New Low Cost Airline Offers Flights Under $10  
Florida Eyes Bounty To Wipe Out Everglades' Slithering Scourge  
Microsoft Dubs New Search Engine 'Bing'  
Survey: Men, Women Average 30 Minutes Daily Or 8 Days A Year In Bathroom  
Japanese Scientists Create First Transgenic Monkeys With Skin That Glows Green  
Winner Of $232M Powerball Jackpot From Winner, S. Dakota  
Canada's Governor General Defends Her Act Of Eating Raw Seal Heart  
Maryland Saves Turtles And Gas By Enlisting Goats To Trim Grasses  
Courtney Love Owes Over $300,000 To American Express For Credit Card Debt  
Sienna Miller Was "Terrified" Of Handling Guns When Filming Her New Film "GI Joe"  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights