CONSULTATIONS WITH ANTI-CORRUPTION OFFICIALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000120 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2010 TAGS: KCOR KCRM PGOV EAID IZ SUBJECT: CONSULTATIONS WITH ANTI-CORRUPTION OFFICIALS REF: A. BAGHDAD 10 ¶B. BAGHDAD 101 Classified By: Deputy Anti-Corruption Coordinator Lynn Gurian, reason 1 .4 (b and d). SUMMARY -------------- 1.(C) Anti-Corruption Coordinator (ACC),joined by staff, paid introductory calls separately January 12-13 on Council of Representatives (COR) Integrity Committee Chairman Sheikh Sabah Al-Saidi, Health Inspector General (IG) D. Adil Muhsin, and acting head of Commission on Integrity (COI) Judge Rahim Al-Ugaili. Parliamentarian Sheikh Sabah denounced "political corruption" and acknowledged the COR's limited ability to exercise oversight of anti-corruption AC institutions. IG Dr. Adil, who has faced AC allegations himself, touted achievements by the IG corps. The COI's Judge Rahim complained of politicians' interference and, in particular, criticized the Prime Minister. All three interlocutors raised predictable requests for assistance; ACC responded by outlining existing USG assistance and indicating that he was not in a position to make any commitments of further aid at present. END SUMMARY. PARLIAMENTARIAN'S PERSPECTIVE -------------- ¶2. (C) COR Integrity Committee chairman Sheikh Sabah voiced concern over what he termed "political corruption" plaguing Iraq, e.g., appointment of politically connected but unqualified persons to important government positions for financial benefit or passage of legislation to protect certain individuals and organizations. Asked about the Committee's role in combating corruption, he stated that it was empowered, inter alia, to summon executive branch officials for questioning over possible abuses. However, he admitted the Committee's limited ability to compel officials to testify, recounting that when allegations of corruption involving the Trade Minister surfaced, he (Sheikh Sabah) summoned the Minister for questioning. In the end, according to Sheikh Sabah, his summons came to naught, as pressure from "certain politicians" resulted in the Minister's being "excused" from testifying. Sheikh Sabah mentioned similar cases of the Ministers of Defense and Education successfully evading summons from the Committee to appear for questioning. INSPECTOR GENERAL'S VIEWS -------------- ¶3. (C) Health Ministry IG, head of Prime Minister's Anti-Corruption Coordination Office (PMACCO),and self-appointed head of the IG's Association, Dr. Adil Muhsin, touted the achievements of the IG corps over the past year, e.g., reporting over 3,000 audits conducted by IG's, submission of over 1,000 cases for investigation, and participation of IG's and their staffs in numerous training programs. At the same time, he noted that the IG institution was still "relatively new" (established in 2004 by CPA) and had yet to play the strong AC role in ministries envisaged on its establishment. Dr. Adil went on to note that some IG's were more effective than others and that some enjoyed greater support than others from their respective ministers. He spoke of his personal intervention, as "the senior Inspector General," on behalf of his colleagues, citing as an example his lobbying efforts to secure more resources for the Trade Ministry's IG. (NOTE: Dr. Adil himself has faced allegations of corruption; our sources claim that he has avoided prosecution to date due to his connections to the Prime Minister. END NOTE) COMMISSION ON INTEGRITY -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The COI head, Acting Commissioner Judge Rahim Al-Ugaili, also highlighted the COI's achievements, saying there were currently 7,500 cases in various stages of investigation. He added that the bulk of these cases Qinvestigation. He added that the bulk of these cases originated prior to 2008 and had accumulated since the COI's founding in 2004. He reported that in 2008 alone, the COI opened 2,000 new cases in Baghdad, with over 4,000 new cases nationwide. According to Judge Rahim, the past year witnessed 386 trials based on AC cases submitted by the COI, resulting in 87 convictions. He said the COI recognized the need to include AC material in school curricula and stated that the COI was working with the Education and Higher Education Ministries to this end. Judge Rahim agreed that public awareness campaigns were also an important element in an effective AC program, noting the COI's issuance of AC-related publications and plans to create a television program on AC issues. BAGHDAD 00000120 002 OF 002 CRITICISM OF PRIME MINISTER AND POLITICIANS' INTERFERENCE -------------- -------------- 5.(C) A highlight of the discussion with Judge Rahim was his criticism of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, portrayed as interfering in the COI's work and failing to give adequate it adequate support. The COI head claimed that he was the superior of the COI's Deputy Commissioner and Chief Investigator in name only, complaining that they actually took direction, not from him, but from the Prime Minister. Judge Rahim went on to criticize Iraq's "politicians" generally for politicizing the COI's work, accusing them of pressing for investigations of rivals on AC-related allegations while insisting on their own innocence. REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶6. (U) The three interlocutors raised the predictable requests for training and other aid. Sheikh Sabah said his Committee needed assistance in developing its capacity to oversee the AC institutions and in developing legislation regarding Iraq's compliance with its obligations under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) as well as legislation related to asset recovery. IG Dr.Adil said he was satisfied with the training provided IG's under USAID's "Tatweer" program but went on to ask for training in areas related to self-assessment and performance review methodology as well as assistance in establishing a computer network linking all IG offices. He also raised the long-dormant proposal to establish an academy to train officials from Iraq's AC institutions. Judge Rahim asked for training in such areas as electronic surveillance. In response to these requests for material aid, ACC took note of them, while outlining existing USG assistance and adding that he was not in a position at this point to make any commitments. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) Parliamentarian Sheikh Sabah and acting COI head Judge Rahim made clear their concern that politicians' interference was hampering the work of AC institutions. Judge Rahim, who had largely refrained from anti-GOI criticism in his recent "Integrity Day" presentation on shortcomings in Iraq's AC efforts (ref a),lambasted the Prime Minister himself on this occasion. The requests for assistance were predictable, and need to be evaluated in light of the Mission's proposed AC strategy (ref b). END COMMENT BUTENIS