Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has ordered the activation of a law that enables financial rewards to be given to whistleblowers who provide information about corruption.
More than $1 billion has been recovered in an anti-corruption campaign that began with a raid on Baghdad's fortified Green Zone in late June and led to the arrest of several high-ranking current and former Iraqi officials.
“The value of what has been recovered in terms of money, assets or real estate, as part of the anti-corruption campaign, is estimated at more than 1.359 trillion dinars,” said Iraqi government spokesperson Haider Al Aboudi. He said more than 26,000 corruption reports have been submitted to the country's Integrity Commission.
During Mr Al Zaidi's latest meeting with the Integrity Commission, he “directed the activation of the law rewarding whistleblowers who report corruption cases, the strengthening of border crossing monitoring, and the exposure of corrupt individuals,” according to a statement from his office.
In early July, he had stated that a "substantial financial reward" would be provided to informants.
Since taking office in May, Mr Al Zaidi has ordered high-profile arrests and asset seizures aimed at senior officials in the oil, electricity and other ministries. The campaign has been portrayed by the government as a test of state authority, particularly in sectors long dominated by political parties and powerful economic networks.
Iraqi authorities have made dozens of arrests and seized millions of dollars in cash, along with gold and other valuables, in investigations connected to Adnan Al Jumaili, the former deputy oil minister for refining affairs.
