Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani directed to quickly respond to reports of corruption cases and implement judicial legal decisions within 24 hours.
The Prime Minister’s media office stated: “Today, Saturday, Al-Sudani conducted a visit to the headquarters of the Federal Integrity Commission.”
Al-Sudani chaired a meeting in which he pointed out that the Integrity Commission represents an essential tool in implementing the government program and the priority of combating corruption, praising the distinguished efforts of the Commission’s employees, which have established hope among the general public that there is a real will to combat financial and administrative corruption.
The Prime Minister touched on the issue of the theft of tax deposits, which represents a black point in the history of the state due to the nature and size of the money stolen and under official cover, in collusion with state employees, and half of this money was smuggled out of the country, stressing the continuation of efforts
to recover it.
He explained that the work of the Commission is clearly different from the previous stage, stressing the necessity of continuing the same professional path in work, since public opinion was concerned about selectivity in combating corruption and the political nature of opening files, as happened in the 29th Diwani Order Committee, which is no longer exists, as work is being carried out today in accordance with the law and in cooperation with the executive and judicial authorities.
Al-Sudani stressed the necessity of quickly addressing any defect that appears among integrity employees, and refused to exploit any employee’s position, especially if he is charged with oversight and protecting integrity, stressing that he communicates daily with the Integrity Commission and its head for follow-up and directives.
The Prime Minister directed all officers and commanders to submit a statement of their financial assets.
He also directed all departments to continue setting and updating standards for t
he use of bribery by surveying citizens’ opinions. He also directed to provide a periodic position on ministries’ procedures on the issue of integrity, and the speed of responding to the issue of information received.
The Prime Minister said during his visit to the Integrity Commission headquarters: ‘Reconstruction and services are citizens’ priorities, as are protecting public funds and fighting corruption, because they enhance people’s confidence in the political system.’
He stressed that citizens measure performance through the level of service and development, and the more we progress in combating corruption, the more confidence in the performance of state institutions strengthens.
He pointed out that we worked on five axes, the most important of which is evaluating the performance of leaders in state institutions, and the most important indicator is the integrity of the official.
He continued, ‘We rarely hear of an official being dismissed as a result of poor performance or through his continuous eva
luation, and the professional evaluation must be present before the administrative judiciary, because the citizen expects production and service.
He stressed that the process of evaluating the performance of officials at all levels is continuing, stressing the importance of the evaluation committees’ reports being accurate because our decision depends on it.
He stated that the evaluation of the procedures of government institutions in combating corruption must be conducted without waiting for the procedures of the Integrity Commission or the Financial Supervision Bureau.
He stressed the need for transparency in contracting, or facilitating procedures for citizens, and adopting controls and exercising diligence in preserving public money, measures sufficient to shorten the effort on the part of state institutions.
He noted that we have formed special committees to investigate the special ranks and hold senior employees accountable, and have begun their work to include any official if it is proven that ther
e has been damage to public funds.
He continued: We directed the formation of investigation committees in ministries, governorates, and entities not affiliated with a ministry, because there is a slowdown in processing information and lawsuits.
He pointed out that some of the information aims to disrupt the work of the Integrity Commission, confuse its work, and delay projects because there are those who fear achieving success.
He added that we are directing to set a ceiling for resolving all information by the end of 2024, and information must also be classified and major corruption cases must be distinguished.
He pointed out that the Commission needs to strengthen the investigative legal teams, and needs must be identified to provide them with the necessary legal personnel.
He continued: ‘The implementation of judicial legal decisions must take place within 24 hours, because integrity work is exceptional, and it has a great moral and patriotic aspect.’
Source: National Iraqi News Agency