ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— A member of the Iraqi parliament in Baghdad raised concerns Tuesday about monthly payments sent to civil servants in the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul, warning the money could end up in the hands of the jihadists. Manal Wahab, of the Shiite State of the Law coalition, told Rudaw the government had no accurate information about how the monthly payments are being distributed in the city. “But in case we verify claims that the money is kept by ISIS and not delivered to state employees, then of course we should freeze the payments,” Wahab said, adding that the monthly payments could be giving ISIS the economic means to maintain its rule over the city. Mosul’s exiled administration, now following events in the city from safe zones in the Kurdistan region, say the payments are delivered to state employees and no incidents has been reported about “larger irregularities.” “As far as we know, the money ends up directly in the hands of those who should receive it, that is, government employees and retired civil servants,” said Nouradin Qablan, an exiled member of the Mosul provincial council. The Iraqi government decided last year not to withhold monthly wages to employees in Mosul despite ISIS control of the city, fearing the cut could increase support for the militants in the predominantly Sunni area.
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