17 administrative corruption cases in Diala – official

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: There are 17 “administrative corruption” cases inside the Diala Education Department, according to an official source in the province’s anti-corruption board on Sunday. “A board commission discovered 17 cases of administrative corruption cases inside the Diala Education Department, including the involvement of the school buildings director Faris al-Temimi in selling furniture and possessions of a number of schools and buildings rehabilitated and restored within the reconstruction projects in the province,” the source, who asked that his name not be mentioned, told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The sales have been conducted illegally and at very low prices that are not in line with the prevailing market prices,” the official said. “Several employees were also proved to have received bribes in return for facilitating procedures for staff hiring and to have been involved in illegal conducting of allowances and bonuses,” he added. Meanwhile, Jaafar al-Zarkoushi, the department director, said a board commission has visited the department and investigated a number of employees. “I have not received any official letters from the board on these alleged violations and excesses,” Zarkoushi told IraqiNews.com, asserting “these accusations are groundless”. Diala province lies 57 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (S) 1