Basra governor faces dismissal, court referral over corruption charges
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A parliamentary committee probing alleged violations by the southern oil-rich Basra province’s local government has called for the dismissal of Governor Asaad al-Eidani and the referral of several senior officials to court over corruption-related charges. The recommendation comes after Eidani recently defied an order from the Iraqi prime minister to halt the demolition of informal housing.
Iraqi lawmaker and committee head Saud al-Saadi said the recommendation was made “due to violations and other reasons related to suspicions in the projects,” adding that it was part of the committee’s first set of findings based on Parliamentary Order No. 87, which authorized an inquiry into the conduct of Basra’s local government. He did not provide details regarding “the project” in question.
According to Saadi, the findings suggest that Eidani, along with the heads of key departments involved in government tenders, are accused of deliberately mismanaging public funds allocated to Basra.
The lawmaker said that the officials are being referred to court on charges of intentionally causing financial harm to the province, failing to apply applicable laws and regulations, and obstructing parliamentary oversight, under Articles 340 and 4/329 of Iraq’s Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, which address abuse of public office and damage to public interest.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday directed Eidani to suspend the demolitions until an alternative solution could be found for affected residents.
In an interview with the local Al Rabiaa TV on Wednesday, Saadi said that according to Article 78 of the constitution, “the prime minister is directly responsible for formulating state policies,” adding that the Basra administration is “subject to [under the authority of]” the prime minister.
However, Saadi did not directly say that the lawsuit is related to rejecting Sudani’s order.
The campaign targets nearly 9,000 plots of land, many of which are occupied by homes or used for farming, Eidani said in a voice recording published on Facebook. Residents of the houses protested in front of the Basra provincial council building earlier last week when the decision was made. Videos circulating on social media showed bulldozers destroying houses.
Eidani stressed that Basra’s administration said it is reclaiming public land granted to state employees decades ago, stressing that the plots were never officially transferred to the individuals.
“Iraq is a federal state and the prime minister's orders are not binding on the provinces,” he said. “The governor is elected by the provincial council and is not an employee of the federal government.”
On Tuesday, Imad al-Matouri, head of the services committee in Basra’s provincial council, told Rudaw that each plot measures around 300 square meters and is located in the Khor Al Zubair town, located around 30 kilometers south of Basra city. He said that the government employees received the land during the 1990s and have since either built houses or cultivated crops on it.
Matouri said that beneficiaries have not received their lands and are not eligible to claim new plots under the law, prompting many to pursue legal action, adding that the demolition campaign has not been suspended and that most of the houses have already been removed.
Iraqi lawmaker and committee head Saud al-Saadi said the recommendation was made “due to violations and other reasons related to suspicions in the projects,” adding that it was part of the committee’s first set of findings based on Parliamentary Order No. 87, which authorized an inquiry into the conduct of Basra’s local government. He did not provide details regarding “the project” in question.
According to Saadi, the findings suggest that Eidani, along with the heads of key departments involved in government tenders, are accused of deliberately mismanaging public funds allocated to Basra.
The lawmaker said that the officials are being referred to court on charges of intentionally causing financial harm to the province, failing to apply applicable laws and regulations, and obstructing parliamentary oversight, under Articles 340 and 4/329 of Iraq’s Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, which address abuse of public office and damage to public interest.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday directed Eidani to suspend the demolitions until an alternative solution could be found for affected residents.
In an interview with the local Al Rabiaa TV on Wednesday, Saadi said that according to Article 78 of the constitution, “the prime minister is directly responsible for formulating state policies,” adding that the Basra administration is “subject to [under the authority of]” the prime minister.
However, Saadi did not directly say that the lawsuit is related to rejecting Sudani’s order.
The campaign targets nearly 9,000 plots of land, many of which are occupied by homes or used for farming, Eidani said in a voice recording published on Facebook. Residents of the houses protested in front of the Basra provincial council building earlier last week when the decision was made. Videos circulating on social media showed bulldozers destroying houses.
Eidani stressed that Basra’s administration said it is reclaiming public land granted to state employees decades ago, stressing that the plots were never officially transferred to the individuals.
“Iraq is a federal state and the prime minister's orders are not binding on the provinces,” he said. “The governor is elected by the provincial council and is not an employee of the federal government.”
On Tuesday, Imad al-Matouri, head of the services committee in Basra’s provincial council, told Rudaw that each plot measures around 300 square meters and is located in the Khor Al Zubair town, located around 30 kilometers south of Basra city. He said that the government employees received the land during the 1990s and have since either built houses or cultivated crops on it.
Matouri said that beneficiaries have not received their lands and are not eligible to claim new plots under the law, prompting many to pursue legal action, adding that the demolition campaign has not been suspended and that most of the houses have already been removed.