Iraqi anti-corruption body detains 7 in Mosul tax office probe

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity detained four tax assessors and three suspects in Mosul's left bank after uncovering a scheme in which official forms were sold to taxpayers at nearby photocopy shops. According to a written statement from the commission, the assessors transferred property transfer and income tax declaration forms to copy shops near the tax office in exchange for money, despite the forms being official documents that should be distributed to taxpayers free of charge. Investigators also detained three individuals, including a photocopy shop owner, on suspicion of working with the assessors to follow up on transactions. The forms in question are government-issued and provided to taxpayers at no cost, the commission said. Commission teams submitted a record of the operation to the judge of the Mosul Anti-Corruption Investigation Court, who ordered the seven suspects detained under Article 331 of the Iraqi Penal Code. No further details on the case were immediately available.