Iraq detains four electricity ministry employees over missing power panels in Babylon

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity said on Wednesday that four employees of the Ministry of Electricity in Babylon province have been detained on suspicion of deliberately harming the assets and interests of the institution where they work. The commission said an investigative team from its Babylon office was tasked with verifying reports that five feeder line panels had gone missing from an electricity station in the province. The probe confirmed the information, and after a judicial order, the teams were dispatched to the electricity station in the Mahawil district. They detained four station employees found in possession of the panels and seized panel records, visitor logs and other related documents. A preliminary examination indicated the panels were of high value. The suspects were referred, along with the case file, to the Hilla Investigation Court, which handles corruption cases. The judge ordered their detention under Article 340 of the Iraqi Penal Code. No further details were immediately available about the value of the missing equipment or the next stage of proceedings.