Iraq identifies 549 'ghost' names in Baghdad electricity payroll

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Electricity has launched administrative and legal action against employees at the Baghdad General Electricity Distribution Company and the Sadr electricity distribution branch after a months-long investigation identified 549 fictitious names on the payroll, according to a ministry order dated 16 August 2026 (No. 56346). The probe examined the 2007–2025 period and uncovered what the ministry described as financial and administrative violations, including the addition of ghost names to staff rosters, forged administrative orders, irregular financial records and salary payments to people who did not actually work. The ministry's order covers 113 files that were placed under investigation, including a separate file of 37 irregularly registered individuals. Some of the employees named in the decision also appear in other cases. Allegations include the falsification of documents and administrative orders, the manipulation of bank cards and improperly issued salaries, the concealment of official records, and the issuance of bank cards in cooperation with Rast Bank staff. Sanctions imposed range from dismissal, demotion, transfer and restriction of authority to referral to court under Compensation Law No. 31 of 2015. The ministry also announced new measures, including linking the biometric system to salary payments, establishing a centralized database and forming audit commissions.