Dhi Qar governor says 41 fake property transfers uncovered, transfers halted

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The governor of Dhi Qar province, Haysam al-Hamdani, has announced that 41 forged property transfer transactions were identified during an investigation into a land distribution record in the province. The province's Legal Affairs Unit conducted the review in coordination with the Dhi Qar Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Unit representative office within the Nasiriyah municipality directorate, Hamdani said, according to a statement from his office. Hamdani said all case files had been referred to the investigating judge at the Commission for Integrity to expand the probe. He added that all transfer transactions covered by the land distribution record, which spans 403 land parcels, have been suspended and will undergo a full review. Separately, Abdulbaki al-Omari, head of Dhi Qar parliament's Anti-Corruption Commission, called for strict measures and a "night of anger," drawing comparisons to protests held in the capital Baghdad. Al-Omari said the provincial commission is awaiting urgent intervention from the federal government and judicial authorities. Al-Omari also pointed to the province's broader housing file, stating that more than 110 residential projects have faced price increases and delivery delays, leaving tens of thousands of citizens awaiting housing units.