Iraq's federal and Kurdish anti-corruption bodies agree to coordinate enforcement

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Integrity Commission and the Kurdistan Region's Commission on Integrity agreed to coordinate anti-corruption work across federal and regional lines, according to a joint statement issued on Monday. The agreement was reached during a visit by the federal commission's delegation to Erbil. Both sides said they would strengthen cooperation between their oversight bodies and expand coordination on anti-corruption enforcement at the federal level, framing the commissions' role as a deterrent that should extend across the country's territory. The two bodies also agreed to develop mechanisms for executing arrest warrants and court rulings, and to prevent individuals under corruption investigation from using administrative boundaries to evade judicial proceedings. They further committed to joint work aimed at closing routes used to conceal and transfer corruption proceeds abroad. The statement warned that separate administrative authorities from the center have at times been used as shelter for certain corrupt activities. No further details on specific cases or timelines were immediately provided.