The four suspects are from the Ministry of Interior – they are a brigadier general who was head of the intelligence and counterterrorism department in western Baghdad, a major, a captain, and an associate employed by the ministry.
The case against the four alleges they “blackmailed” the families of detained individuals to extort money. They are also charged with “tampering with investigative documents, changing the facts, or inventing financial evidence,” added the court’s statement.
They are also accused of delaying the release of detainees who had been freed by the courts until “families paid sums of money.”
Corruption has been the Achilles heel of Iraq, which routinely ranks among the most corrupt nations in the world.
Anger over corruption that has left public services underfunded despite oil wealth is one of the factors driving deadly protests in the southern province of Basra.
Leaders in Baghdad have declared war on corruption, but practical steps lag behind political promises.
