Iraq's anti-corruption authorities have arrested three senior military officers and five engineers over alleged irregularities in the awarding of a $71 million contract to renovate and equip a military hospital in Baghdad.
The Federal Integrity Commission said late on Tuesday that a major general, a brigadier general, and a colonel were detained alongside five engineers from the Directorate of Public Works following an investigation into the Air Force Hospital project in Baghdad's Rustamiya district.
According to the commission, the contract, worth 92.88 billion Iraqi dinars ($71 million), was awarded to a foreign company through direct contracting rather than a competitive bidding process.
Investigators alleged the deal involved financial and administrative irregularities, including inflated prices and contract amendments that significantly increased the project's cost.
The arrests were carried out by a commission task force in co-ordination with the Rapid Response Forces after warrants were issued by the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court.
The commission said the case has been referred to an investigating judge and that inquiries are continuing to determine the full extent of the alleged corruption and identify any additional suspects.
The case is the latest development in Iraq's expanding anti-corruption campaign, launched on June 28 to clamp down on alleged misuse of public funds, illicit enrichment and irregular government contracts.
Since then, authorities have arrested dozens of current and former officials and widened investigations into projects across multiple ministries and state institutions.
Part of the broader investigation has been linked to testimony provided by former deputy oil minister Adnan Al Jumaili, whose arrest in June prompted a review of government contracts and spending.
The latest arrests suggest the campaign has expanded into the military sector, an area that has rarely been the focus of public corruption inquiries despite longstanding allegations of procurement irregularities.
Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi, who took office in May, has made tackling corruption a key priority, with the government saying the campaign aims to recover public funds and hold those responsible accountable.
Corruption has remained one of Iraq's most persistent challenges since the 2003 US-led invasion, with former president Barham Salih estimating in 2021 that about $150 billion had been lost to embezzlement and corruption over the preceding two decades.
