Former Iraqi governor detained in escalating anti-corruption drive
The arrest marks the latest development in Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s governance reforms, occurring days after the ruling coalition reaffirmed its support for the crackdown on graft.
Ahmed al-Jubouri, the former governor of Saladin province and current secretary general of the National Masses Party, was detained in Baghdad on Saturday on corruption charges. According to a senior government source cited by the Iraqi News Agency, al-Jubouri is accused of embezzling funds from provincial contracts. His associate, businessman Mohammed al-Hajaf, was arrested in Saladin province under identical allegations.
The arrests underscore the intensifying efforts by the Iraqi government to address systemic graft, a key priority for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who assumed office earlier this year. The timing of the detentions follows a reaffirmation by the State Administration Coalition, the political bloc supporting the current government, of its commitment to the prime minister’s anti-graft campaign.
Al-Jubouri, also known as Abu Mazen, previously served as Saladin’s governor from 2013 to 2014 and as minister of state for provincial affairs between 2014 and 2015. He currently leads the National Masses Party, which holds three seats in parliament and is part of the ruling coalition. The specific amount of money allegedly misappropriated has not been disclosed by officials.
This incident follows a significant wave of arrests in June, when security forces detained 47 prominent politicians, lawmakers, and officials, resulting in the seizure of tens of millions of dollars. The broader crackdown has occurred amid pressure from the United States on Baghdad to tackle corruption and disarm Iran-backed armed groups that have targeted US facilities in Iraq.
Al-Jubouri has a history of legal entanglements, having been arrested in November 2019 over alleged criminal activity related to the construction of student dormitories at Tikrit University. His parliamentary immunity was revoked at the time, and he was later released on bail. Neither al-Jubouri nor al-Hajaf has publicly commented on the current allegations. In response to the news, the National Masses Party posted a photograph of al-Jubouri on Facebook with a caption praising his work for sick and poor people.
