Iraq arrests 13 in Diwaniya over fake documents for land grabs and fraudulent loans

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Commission for Integrity said it dismantled a network in Diwaniya that used forged documents to seize state land and obtain loans improperly. The commission's Diwaniya investigation office detained 13 people, including employees at municipal, civil status, passport and residency offices, as well as lawyers, according to a statement. Investigators found that the network arranged 243 fraudulent loan transactions through 12 state banks and carried out 13 sales of plots to individuals without proper residency or income records. The operation also relied on forged residency approvals and civil-status records to withdraw money from Article 140 commissions and to file fabricated paperwork in court in an attempt to seize other people's rights, the commission said. More than 1,000 forged documents were seized during the investigation, and the commission said the fraud exceeded 4 billion Iraqi dinars. A Diwaniya magistrate's court judge ordered the suspects detained and placed a hold on the implicated properties. The Commission for Integrity said the investigation would be expanded and that those responsible would face legal action. No further details were immediately available.