Baghdad, The head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, and the French ambassador, Eric Chevalier, discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the field of combating corruption and recovering the proceeds of corruption smuggled abroad.
Hanoun stressed, according to a statement by the Commission, the importance of legal assistance between countries in the field of combating corruption and recovering smuggled assets, which comes in line with the contents of Chapter Four of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, including assistance in the field of prevention, investigation, prosecution of perpetrators, transfer of judgments of persons and criminal procedures, and cooperation in field of law enforcement.
He explained the commission’s need to benefit from the French experience in preventing and combating corruption and recovering the revenues derived from it, pointing to the importance of concluding bilateral cooperation agreements and memorandums that include development, training and transfer of expertise, as well as the extradition of suspects and smuggled funds.
Hanoun called on French companies to invest in Iraq, after which it is an arena and a safe for investors, especially after the new government and the judiciary provide an appropriate atmosphere to fight corruption with sincere intentions, which represents one of the points of attraction for investment that is hindered by security and political tensions, in addition to the spread of corruption. And the possibility of obstructing and blackmailing investing companies.
For his part, the French ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to cooperate with Iraq in the field of combating corruption, praising the development in the work of the Iraqi oversight bodies and the achievements made at this stage.
He pointed out the need to follow certain mechanisms and procedures in order to cooperate with Iraq to recover smuggled assets, especially the funds of the former regime, noting that the French legislator approved a law in the year 2021 regarding “unknown-owner” funds, and that one of its requirements is the issuance of a decision in this regard by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council to complete the requirements stipulated in this law, and then addressing the French judiciary, which will lead to fulfilling Iraq’s desire regarding its money during the era of the former regime.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency