Three Diwaniyah municipality officials detained in Iraqi anti-corruption raid

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi authorities detained three senior officials at Diwaniyah's municipal government during an anti-corruption operation carried out jointly by a unit affiliated with the Intelligence Falcons Cells and a team from the Federal Commission of Integrity, a security source said. The detentions took place in the Umm al-Hayl area in central Diwaniyah and targeted Deputy Municipal Director Gays al-Fatlawi, Audit Director Ayad Hawam and Sector Head Kerar al-Hakani. The Federal Commission of Integrity said it had dismantled what it described as a dangerous network in Diwaniyah involving officials, lawyers and others accused of forging documents to seize land plots, arrange loans and conduct illegal financial transactions. Investigators from the commission's Diwaniyah office identified 13 suspects linked to municipal, civil registry, passport and residency offices. According to the commission, the inquiry found that 243 loans were processed through 12 state banks using forged approvals and guarantee documents, while 13 land plots were awarded to ineligible individuals based on fake residency confirmations. The commission added that more than 600 fabricated residency approvals and false civil registry records were submitted to municipal departments, banks, the Retirement Authority, the Martyrs' Foundation, the Social Welfare Foundation and the Article 140 Commission, with forged documents also filed in court to try to seize citizens' rights. No further details were immediately available on the next steps in the case.