Ahmed al-Jubouri, the former governor of Iraq's Saladin province, also known as Abu Mazen, was arrested on June 28 in Baghdad on corruption charges, according to Iraqi media reports.
A senior government source said al-Jubouri is accused of embezzling money from contracts in Saladin province. The amount of funds allegedly misappropriated was not disclosed. Also arrested in connection with the case was businessman Mohammed al-Hajaf, described as a close associate of al-Jubouri, in Saladin province.
Al-Jubouri served as governor of Saladin from 2013 to 2014, then as minister of state for provincial affairs from 2014 to 2015. He is currently the secretary-general of the National Masses Party, which holds three seats in the Iraqi parliament and is a member of the ruling coalition.
Both arrests came days after the State Administration Coalition, comprising parties that formed and support the government, reaffirmed the need to continue the anti-corruption campaign and backed the prime minister's efforts.
The National Masses Party posted a photo of al-Jubouri on Facebook with the caption: "He can be proud of what he has done for the sick and the poor." Neither al-Jubouri nor al-Hajaf has made public comments on the allegations.
Earlier in June, Iraqi security forces arrested 47 prominent politicians, lawmakers, and officials and seized tens of millions of dollars, drawing attention to the country's decades-long corruption problem.
This is not the first time al-Jubouri has been arrested. He was previously detained in November 2019 after his parliamentary immunity was lifted over alleged activities related to the construction of student dormitories at Tikrit University. According to local media, he was later released on bail.
Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi took office earlier this year amid increased U.S. pressure on Baghdad to fight corruption and disarm Iranian-backed armed groups that have targeted U.S. facilities in Iraq.
