Shatha Khalil
The Integrity Commission revealed in a report on the total of delayed projects in the province of Salah al-Din , nearly 600 projects, all outside the Ministry of Planning and the Iraqi budget, and the rate of completion 0 percent and criminal cases have been opened on them.
* 600 projects in Salah al-Din are not completed, the cost of projects exceeded (two trillion Iraqi dinars)
* Monitoring of the waste of public funds and the failure to liquidate advances of 179 projects
* Stop construction projects of four hospitals at a cost of 140 million dollars, and water projects of Balad and Dujail at a cost of 97 billion dinars.
As part of the efforts and procedures of the Integrity Commission in monitoring, pursuit and investigating the delayed projects in the governorates, the Commission revealed about its first report in this regard, as it revealed the totality of the delayed projects in Salah Al-Dine Governorate, which were monitored and documented by one of its teams that moved to the governorate for the investigation and inquiry about the delayed reconstruction and services and investment , indicating that the number reached (598) projects, including 269 projects in which criminal cases have been opened .
The report pointed out that “the projects in which criminal cases have been opened are varied between electric power, water parks, sewerage systems, road construction and paving, construction of schools, sports stadiums, banquet halls, etc.”
It pointed out that “the province did not liquidate the financial advances of 179 projects, in addition to the allegations of disbursement of funds allocated to some projects contrary to instructions, and the consequent waste of those funds.
“And the existence of waste of public money in a number of projects, as the report revealed that the governorate has contracted to equip specialized vehicles for the Directorate of Municipalities of Salah al-Din with amount of 27 billion and 900 million dinars where part of them were equipped and waste the rest of the amount for their personal account.
More than (5,775) billion dinars have been disbursed to one of the companies; to establish al-Dur-Al-Alam road – , although the percentage of completion was (0%), in addition to the irregularities in the project of Great Sewage of Balad as well as the change of the country of origin of some materials for a number of projects Contrary to the contract, the purchase of high-priced materials, the use of secondary contractors, and the transfer of projects by the governorate in the form of direct invitation .
The report of integrity stressed that the total of delayed projects , in which criminal cases have not opened so far amounted 329 projects at a cost exceeded (two trillion Iraqi dinars) funded from the funds allocated for the development of regions and petrodollar, and the investment plan of a number of ministries, explaining that these projects were distributed between the construction of about 300 buildings Schools, kindergartens, hospitals, health centers, outpatient clinics and medical committees, equipment for electric power plants, installation of bulk water units, and many roads and government buildings. The rate of completion ranged between( Zero -95%).
On the reasons for the delay, the report indicated to a number of reasons, including the lack of allocations or non-existence of it and the suspension of funding by the province, in addition to the weakness of material resources of the executing companies, and the withdrawal of work from contractors, and the exit of some areas from the control of security forces, noting that the most outstanding delayed projects are the construction project of 4 hospitals by German and Turkish companies at cost (140) million Dollars as well as the construction of Roads with a length of (800) km in several districts and townships at a cost of (96) billion dinars, and completion of the new water projects of Dujail and Balad at a cost of (97) billion dinars.
In late October, the Integrity Commission announced the formation of investigative teams in all its directorates and investigative offices, which will be responsible for categorizing criminal cases in terms of their importance, and completing investigation and inquiry into the delayed projects of reconstruction , services and investment as it assigned the general directors to run the works of these teams and to supervise the completion of their work and provide summaries of the results of the investigation.
In the context of corruption in the province of Salah al-Din, Mishan Jubouri deputy for the province of Salah al-Din had revealed , a lot of important documents on the involvement and corruption of former Salahuddin governor Ahmed Abdullah (Abu Mazen), taking over one third of the budget of the province, and his seizure on the petrodollar, and his involvement of stealing the citizen’s money and the province .
And the possession of a record of thefts and embezzlement and bribes and even a criminal record, al- Jabouri disclosed about information indicating to 15 cases prepared by the Integrity Commission based on the reports of the Federal Board of supreme Audit , all confirm that the involvement of the governor and the gang to seize the funds of the province, and he pointed out that that the documents issued by the Board of Supreme Audit and the Integrity Commission revealed the amount of money seized by the governor for his account and his gang.
Economic Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies