Iraq’s Parliament Speaker confers with U.S. Vice-President, demands investigation for loss of US$17.5 billions
BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq ’s Parliament Speaker, Usama al-Nujeify, now on a visit to Washington , has conferred there with U.S. Vice-President, Jo Biden, demanding an official investigation about the fate of Iraqi Funds, reaching US$17.5 billions (b), according to a statement by his office on Thursday. “Nujeify has conferred during his current visit to the United States, with U.S. Vice-President, Joe Biden, demanding him to “open an official investigation about the fate of Iraqi Fund, estimated at US$17.5 billions (b), withdrawn from Iraq’s Development Fund in 2003-2004 and after that, without the appearance of any documents showing the reason for the withdrawal,” the statement said, adding that Nujeify “had asked the United States to help in achieving that mission.” He said that “there are efforts, exerted by the financial observation bodies in both Iraq and the United States , to gather information and uncover the details of the said issue.” On the other hand, Nujeify said that “the future of the presence of the American forces in Iraq depends on the agreement of Iraq ’s political forces, that would raise such demand to the Council of Ministers, whilst the final approval of their presence would be decided by the Iraqi Parliament.” As regards to Nujeify’s demand to open an official investigation about the fate of the said Iraqi Fund, the U.S. Vice-President expressed support for the demand, “being an important issue, concerning both American and Iraqi sides,” calling for “necessity to uncover the corruption and corruptors, and their trial according to the law.” Iraq ’s Minister of State and Official Spokesman of the Iraqi Government, Ali al-Dabbagh, had announced on Wednesday that the Council of Ministers had assigned a special committee to present a detailed report about all issues related to the Iraqi funds, that were spent by Iraq ’s former Temporary Coalition Authority. SKH (RT) 593