Iraq reconstruction ministry denies lawmaker's terror links claim against senior official

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Construction, Housing and Public Municipalities has rejected claims by a lawmaker that one of its senior officials has ties to terrorist organizations. In a written statement, the ministry said all administrative and legal procedures were completed before the official was appointed to the position. The ministry said a document cited by the lawmaker had previously been submitted to security bodies, and that all relevant institutions confirmed the official has no links to any terrorist group. It described the claims as baseless and said it reserves the legal right to respond to allegations targeting the reputation of its staff. According to the statement, ministry projects undergo technical and financial oversight in line with transparency requirements. The work is carried out under the joint supervision of the Prime Minister's technical commissions, the Ministry of Planning and the ministry's Central Contracts Committee. No further details on the identity of the lawmaker or the official were immediately available.