ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The judicial panel tasked with investigating allegations of corruption against the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Salim Jabouri, has closed its investigation citing lack of evidence.
“Evidence obtained against the accused Salim Abdullah al-Jabouri was insufficient. Therefore, I decided to release him and close the case against him,” reads a statement issued by Judge Abdul Sattar Bayrqdar on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Obeidi had accused the speaker of the parliament of “nepotism and mismanagement” in a dramatic parliamentary session in late July after which Jabouri immediately stepped down from his post and refused to resume office until the court proved his innocence.
Jabouri welcomed the court’s decision but added that he will not give up the lawsuit he launched against Obeidi, who he accused of deliberately seeking to mislead public opinion. “The current crisis revealed that political forces took advantage of the country’s circumstances and sought to create political divisions and exclusions in the parliament.”
Jabouri called for a “thorough review of all our politicians.”
The Iraqi Islamic Party congratulated Jabouri in a statement saying that closure of the case brought “new pride in our leaders.”
The party called for all parties to put aside their internal conflicts and work to build a united Iraq. “It has become clear that we cannot afford more conflict,” read the statement. “We call on all political actors to come together in the project to build Iraq and liberate it from the Daesh [Islamic State] terrorists.”
The defense minister has been summoned to the parliament to answer questions relating to the ministry’s finances and alleged misuse of power. The questioning of Obeidi has been postponed until Monday.
The parliament on Tuesday stressed the importance of uncovering the facts before the Iraqi people in a neutral, transparent, and professional manner.
The parliament speaker said in a statement, “Trying to disrupt the functioning of the oversight and accountability of the parliament by corrupt thieves of public money trying to evade legal accountability to the people in an attempt to hide the truth behind a curtain of false claims will not be tolerated.”
“Evidence obtained against the accused Salim Abdullah al-Jabouri was insufficient. Therefore, I decided to release him and close the case against him,” reads a statement issued by Judge Abdul Sattar Bayrqdar on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Obeidi had accused the speaker of the parliament of “nepotism and mismanagement” in a dramatic parliamentary session in late July after which Jabouri immediately stepped down from his post and refused to resume office until the court proved his innocence.
Jabouri welcomed the court’s decision but added that he will not give up the lawsuit he launched against Obeidi, who he accused of deliberately seeking to mislead public opinion. “The current crisis revealed that political forces took advantage of the country’s circumstances and sought to create political divisions and exclusions in the parliament.”
Jabouri called for a “thorough review of all our politicians.”
The Iraqi Islamic Party congratulated Jabouri in a statement saying that closure of the case brought “new pride in our leaders.”
The party called for all parties to put aside their internal conflicts and work to build a united Iraq. “It has become clear that we cannot afford more conflict,” read the statement. “We call on all political actors to come together in the project to build Iraq and liberate it from the Daesh [Islamic State] terrorists.”
The defense minister has been summoned to the parliament to answer questions relating to the ministry’s finances and alleged misuse of power. The questioning of Obeidi has been postponed until Monday.
The parliament on Tuesday stressed the importance of uncovering the facts before the Iraqi people in a neutral, transparent, and professional manner.
The parliament speaker said in a statement, “Trying to disrupt the functioning of the oversight and accountability of the parliament by corrupt thieves of public money trying to evade legal accountability to the people in an attempt to hide the truth behind a curtain of false claims will not be tolerated.”
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