Iraq arrests Electricity Ministry official on financial corruption charges

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi authorities detained Khalid Ghazai Atiya, deputy director general for transmission and distribution at the Ministry of Electricity, on financial corruption charges in Saladin province, security sources said. The Federal Commission of Integrity carried out the arrest, and the official is being processed under standard legal procedures, according to the sources. Neither the Federal Commission of Integrity nor the Electricity Ministry has issued an official statement on the detention. No further details were immediately available. Iraq's government launched the first phase of an anti-corruption campaign called "Sahur Operation" on June 28, aimed at recovering public funds. A second phase, covering the Health, Oil and Electricity ministries, is set to include tracing assets inside and outside the country, preparing new suspect lists and reviewing a draft law known as "Where Did This Come From?" The Federal Commission of Integrity has said arrest warrants are executed under judicial oversight and that investigations are conducted in confidence.