Former Iraqi provincial governor arrested as graft crackdown continues

What the report says

Iraqi authorities have arrested former Saladin province governor Ahmed al-Jubouri, also known as Abu Mazen, on corruption allegations linked to the misuse of contract funds, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Iraqi media and a senior government source. A businessman described as a close associate, Mohammed al-Hajaf, was also detained in Saladin province on similar accusations.

Al-Jubouri was taken into custody in Baghdad on Saturday, while the report says the alleged misconduct involved contracts in Saladin province. The source did not provide a figure for the amount involved, and neither al-Jubouri nor al-Hajaf had publicly responded at the time of publication. Al-Jubouri’s party, the National Masses Party, shared a supportive post on Facebook, praising his service to sick and poor people.

The arrests come as Iraq continues a broader anti-corruption drive. Al Jazeera reported that the State Administration Coalition recently backed efforts to sustain the graft crackdown and support Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s agenda. In a broader context, Iraq has faced persistent corruption allegations for years, and officials have periodically announced high-profile arrests as part of those efforts.

Al-Jubouri previously served as governor of Saladin from 2013 to 2014 and later as minister of state for provincial affairs. The report also notes that he had been arrested in 2019 in a separate case before being released on bail.