Trade minister says corruption charges groundless

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Trade Minister Abdul Falah al-Sudani on Tuesday expressed astonishment over accusations made by the head of the parliament’s integrity committee Sabah al-Saadi, describing them as bare of truth. “Accusations made by al-Saadi have no legal or legitimate bases and aim to undermine the ministry’s humanitarian and services responsibilities,” al-Sudani told IraqiNews.com, noting that the Iraqi judiciary will end this argument between him and al-Saadi. “The Iraqi judiciary will be the last stage to face all accusations and claims made by al-Saadi,” he said, asserting he will sue al-Saadi. On July 19, 2008, Sudani dismissed corruption charges by the parliament’s integrity committee. He said that he was ready for the parliamentary questions provided that they are in line with constitutional and legal procedures, and after obtaining approval by Premier Nouri al-Maliki and his cabinet in this regard. “While I express my full readiness to be summoned by parliament to show that the accusations are fake, I stress that this issue should occur after obtaining Premier Maliki and his cabinet’s approval, and with the presence of constitutional and legal conditions that guarantee a neutral questioning,” Sudani told IraqiNews.com. “Questioning is a lawmaker’s legal and constitutional right, and is one of the strong ties between the legislative and executive authorities, but this in case it occurs away from free propaganda that curbs those ties, such as the recent statements against the trade ministry,” he said. “Civil servants of the financial surveillance office and integrity organization have a daily documented presence in the trade ministry, and this proves that the ministry has nothing to hide; in fact it seeks to reveal all the trips that come along its performance,” he added. “The ministry sent tens of cases to the integrity organization for investigation, and this is evidence of the ministry’s continuity with the legislative authority’s institutions that we want them to help us overcoming trips, if any, but within the constitutional and legal procedures,” he noted. On July 18, 2008, the head of the Iraqi parliament’s integrity committee accused Sudani of committing a “constitutional violation,” when he refused to be interrogated by the parliament. “Sudani violated the constitution when he refused to comply with a request signed by 105 lawmakers of different parliamentary blocs to question him,” Sheikh Sabah al-Saadi told IraqiNews.com. In mid January 2008, al-Saadi revealed that a request signed by 105 lawmakers of different parliamentary blocs had been submitted to the parliament’s speaker to interrogate the trade minister regarding “financial and administrative corruption,” according to Saadi. SH (I) 1