“As a continuation of the campaign to chase corrupted individuals, and with extensive follow up and efforts for corruption cases, one of the biggest suspects of corruption, named Ziad [Tariq Abdullah] al-Qattan, the former director-general of the defense ministry in the transitional government was chased and arrested,” reads a statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s office.
Qattan had been on the run in Europe and Jordan and wanted by Iraqi courts.
“We reiterate that Ziad al-Qattan is accused of weapons deals that had big corruption of millions of dollars. He was followed in the country he resided, and in cooperation with Interpol, [he is] currently in the hands of Iraqi security,” the prime minister office’s statement added.
The government has vowed that it will follow up on corruption cases and no one is safe or insulated from being charged or investigated.
Qattan previously was residing in Poland, and that he had been advisor to the Iraqi defense ministry. He travelled to Jordan, but was arrested at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman in February 2017 after a joint operation by Interpol and Jordanian police.
While in Europe, The Guardian queried Amnesty International and British MPs over Qattan's alleged connection to a UK firm with a license to import 40,000 AK-47s from Yugoslavia. The weapons reportedly ended up in Iraq and were not traceable, thus violating international end-use agreements.
Ahead of parliamentary elections on May 12, Abadi has vowed more than once to fight rampant corruption, something he has dubbed Iraq’s war following ISIS’ war.
“The head of the council of ministers Dr. Haider al-Abadi reiterated that we (Iraqis) would not have been able to defeat Daesh if not for fighting corruption because there is a relation between the corrupt and terrorism,” said Abadi in an Arab forum on transparency and corruption.
Former Iraqi Trade Minister Abdel Falah al-Sudani, who had also been on the run, was also handed over to Iraq by Interpol in Lebanon in January on Iraqi embezzling charges.
