Iraq News

Iraq says ex-governor embezzled $10 million in aid for displaced

Former Ninawa governor Nawfal al-Akoub has embezzled more than 11 billion Iraqi dinars (around $10 million) allocated for relief and aid efforts provided to displaced people in Ninawa province, Iraq’s Commission of Integrity (CoI) said Tuesday (July 30th).

A spokesman for the commission told AFP that its investigators had uncovered "invoices from developers" in Iraq's Kurdish region.

But, he added, "no receipt was found" for these debited sums, which were meant for the rehabilitation of two hospitals in Mosul, capital of Ninawa.

Many of the province's inhabitants are still displaced as public services have not been fully reestablished.

A total of 11.3 billion Iraqi dinars had been allocated to the Provincial Council by the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, according to the commission.

"It has been debited and does not appear in any provincial authorities' bank accounts or in the Provincial Council funds," the spokesman said.

The sum was transferred to private banks in the Kurdish region where the sacked governor of Ninawa, Nawfal al-Akoub, is thought to be in hiding, along with several other officials wanted by Baghdad.

He has been on the run since a ferry sank in Mosul on Mother's Day in March, killing 150 people.

In April, the commission said that more than $60 million of public funds were diverted by officials close to al-Akoub from Ninawa's budget of $800 million.

"An investigation was opened and arrest warrants were issued for those involved in this operation," the commission said.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500