Iraqi anti-corruption body seizes fake deeds for 95 properties in Saladin

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity said authorities seized forged property documents covering 95 real estate assets during a search at the Tikrit home of the wife of a deputy director at the Saladin Land Registry. The commission said the operation was carried out under a judicial order and yielded first-registration records, title deeds and external purchase contracts linked to the properties. According to the commission's written statement, the suspect acknowledged in her testimony that around 27 of the properties had been registered in her own name, while the remainder were recorded under relatives and intermediaries using fabricated documents. Investigators also recovered land registry logbooks, 31 blank declaration forms bearing fingerprints, four computers including one belonging to the Land Registry, cash, gold jewelry, powers of attorney and citizens' transaction files. The properties under investigation are located in Saladin, Baghdad and Diyala, the commission said, adding that a portion had been registered in the names of spouses, parents and intermediaries to conceal actual ownership. The detained official was arrested under a counter-terrorism court order and charged under Article 36 of the 2015 Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law, Law No. 39.