Security Committee calls integrity Commission to reveal suspects in arms deal with Russia

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) MP Hakim al-Zamili, member of the Parliamentary Security Committee called the Integrity Commission to earnestly investigate on the corruption suspicions in arms deal concluded with Russia and to reveal the involved officials.

Zamili told IraqiNews.com that “The names of those involved in the Russian arms deal are still unknown, stressing that “We have demanded the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces Office to reveal the names of the suspected officials and what is the amount of the money and the type of corruption, however, we receive no response.”

“In a reaction towards this issue, the Russian side dismissed the Ministry of Defense and the Chief of Army Staff on the background of those suspicions, while the Iraqi side did not take any serious step for this issue,” he added.

It is worth to mention that the Government of Iraq has decided to renegotiate with Moscow concerning the arms deal due to suspicions and accusations of corruption, stressing its continuity to purchase weapons to preserve Iraqi security and sovereignty.

The Iraqi Government has concluded a number of arms deals with Russia and Czech during a visit by the Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki to them where the Kurdistani Alliance expressed concerns on these deals.