Iraqi parliament says Federal Board of Auditors failed to carry out oversight role

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's parliament has reviewed the annual report of the country's Federal Board of Auditors and concluded that the institution has not fulfilled its expected role. Lawmakers said the report showed signs of concealment and complicity in several corruption files, and that the cases were not handled within a proper legal framework. Members of parliament said the board has fallen short in auditing public finances and administrative performance, and called for performance evaluations of its staff. The report also described what it described as the open looting of public resources, citing long-standing oversight weaknesses and the use of funds worth billions by those in authority. Lawmakers noted that parliament had previously established General Oversight Offices across various state bodies, but that these were gradually removed, narrowing the scope of oversight. They called for a new audit structure based on transparent criteria. The board's accountability over the report was viewed as a step in the right direction, but lawmakers also pushed for harsher criminal penalties and legislation addressing unexplained wealth.