Kathmandu— Ahmed al-Jubouri, the former governor of Iraq’s Saladin province, was arrested in Baghdad on Saturday amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign, according to reports from Iraqi media. Al-Jubouri, also known as Abu Mazen, is accused of misusing funds related to contracts awarded during his time governing Saladin province. A close associate, businessman Mohammed al-Hajaf, was simultaneously arrested in Saladin province on the same charges. The arrests follow a pledge by Iraq’s ruling coalition to continue tackling corruption and come after dozens of officials were detained earlier this year.

Political Background

Al-Jubouri served as governor of Saladin from 2013 to 2014, then held the position of minister of state for provincial affairs between 2014 and 2015. He currently serves as secretary general of the National Masses Party, a political group with three seats in Iraq’s parliament that is part of the ruling coalition. The party posted a photo of al-Jubouri on Facebook alongside a message praising his work for those in need.

Ongoing Anti-Corruption Efforts

The arrests of Al-Jubouri and al-Hajaf are part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the Iraqi government. In June, security forces arrested 47 prominent politicians, lawmakers, and officials, seizing tens of millions of dollars in the process. The State Administration Coalition recently reaffirmed its commitment to continuing this anti-graft campaign and supporting the prime minister’s efforts.

Previous Arrest and Context

This is not the first time Al-Jubouri has faced legal scrutiny. He was previously arrested in November 2019 after his parliamentary immunity was revoked due to alleged criminal activity linked to construction projects at Tikrit University; he was later released on bail. The current crackdown comes as new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi faces pressure from the United States to address corruption and disarm Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq.

Neither Al-Jubouri nor al-Hajaf have publicly commented on the allegations at this time, and the amount of money allegedly embezzled has not been disclosed. The investigation is ongoing.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.