Iraq anti-corruption body arrests two former Maysan district mayors

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Integrity Commission said it arrested two former mayors of the Al-Had district in Maysan province along with four municipal employees. In a written statement, the commission said the Al-Had Municipality had signed contracts in 2018 to lease and collect rent on 81 shops built on land that did not belong to the local authority. The commission said the shops were constructed without authorization and were rented out even though the land was not municipal property. It added that no legal action was taken to address the violations on the site and that there was no coordination with the entity that owned the property. The arrest warrants were carried out under Article 315 of the criminal code by a Maysan Investigations Office team with support from the Rapid Response Brigade, according to the statement. Those detained were formally documented and their files referred to the competent investigative judge for the required legal proceedings.