Iraq audit finds delays in corruption cases, financial violations

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Federal Board of Supreme Audit identified majordelays in resolving corruption cases, failures to exercise key legal powers,and widespread financial violations across several government sectors in its2025 annual report presented to Parliament on Tuesday.

The report, obtained by Shafaq News, found that theboard missed the 120-day deadline for submitting its annual report and failedto fully use powers granted under Articles 14 and 15 of the Federal Board ofSupreme Audit Law No. 31 of 2011. Those provisions authorize the board torequest investigations by the Federal Commission of Integrity, pursuecorrective action, and seek disciplinary measures against public employees.Among the examples cited was its failure to refer government contracts awardedwithout verifying bank guarantee letters.

In the defense sector, auditors found that theMinistry of Defense sold scrap metal through direct sales instead of publicauctions, contrary to the Selling and Renting State Property Law. Scrap fromthe Taji and Balad sites sold for 200,000 Iraqi dinars ($152.73) per ton,compared with 630,000 dinars ($481.09) for similar material auctioned from theOfficers’ Club.

The report also criticized the award of food rationsupply contracts to a single private company, concluding that the arrangementbreached Article 10 of Iraq’s Competition and Antitrust Law. Auditors furtherquestioned bonuses paid to employees of the State Company for Food Trading fromperformance guarantee funds linked to the government’s food basket program,finding the payments inconsistent with public procurement rules.

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