Iraq arrests three officials on corruption charges

Three senior Iraqi financial officials were arrested Thursday on corruption charges, according to security and media sources.

"This evening, a special security force arrested Bahaa Abdul-Hussein, the director of the Qi Card company at the airport," according to an officer at Baghdad International airport, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The source said Abdul-Hussein intended to travel abroad prior to his arrest.

The Qi Card company, which has branches in various cities across the country, is responsible for distributing salaries to employees and retirees.

In recent years it has been subjected to a torrent of corruption accusations in regards to managing salary distributions.

Meanwhile, Iraqi media reported security forces arrested Agricultural Bank Director Adel Khadr in Baghdad, days after he was dismissed from his position.

Security forces also arrested Shaker al-Zamili, who heads the Baghdad Investment Commission, according to the same source.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi formed a special committee Aug. 27 to investigate corruption and assigned the tasks of implementing arrest warrants to a special force headed by the Cabinet.

Al-Kadhimi said the committee would be granted powers to restore the nation’s prestige and rights.

Iraq is one of the world's most corrupt countries in recent years where corruption and security tensions have undermined the country's institutions, according to the Transparency International Index.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara