Warrant of arrest against former Iraqi officials over stealing

The Iraqi authorities accused scores of officials including ministers in the former interim government of stealing millions of dollars and issued a warrant of arrest against them.

The chairman of the general transparency committee Ali al-Lami said that a warrant of arrest was issued against 27 officials in the former government and five ministers. They are the former defense minister Hazem al-Shaalan and the ministers of telecommunications, electricity, labor and housing. He added that the parliament held a meeting on Monday to remove immunity from al-Shaalan but could not yet, because not all wanted persons are attending.

It is believed that several Iraqi officials left Iraq including al-Shaalan who is believed to have had left to Jordan and from there to Britain when the new Iraqi government assumed power.

The Iraqi minister of finance Ali Allawi said in September that one billion dollars were stolen from the treasure of the ministry of defense during the government of the interim prime minister Eyad Allawi.