The Inspector General at Iraq’s Interior Ministry believes that 75% of the money used on the fake ADE-651 bomb detectors actually went to kickbacks to Iraqi officials. Baghdad spent approximately $122 million on the devices beginning in 2007. That would mean around $91.5 million was pocketed by corrupt members of the Ministry. In February 2011, General Jihad al-Jabiri, the commander of the Ministry’s bomb division was arrested for purchasing the detectors, so he probably took the lion’s share of the money. His detention was only possible because former Interior Minister Jawad Bolani stepped down after the March 2010 parliamentary elections. Before, he had evoked Article 136(b) that allows ministers to stop investigations. The Inspector General was also able to recover $20 million from the purchase of the devices and return it to the government. This is just one example of the high level of corruption that goes on within the Iraq. It’s yet to be seen whether General Jabiri will be prosecuted as no other high officials have ever been sent to jail for graft.
SOURCES
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, “Quarterly Report and Semiannual Report to the United States Congress,” 1/30/11
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3 comments:
General Jihad didn't get all of that money - there were a lot of officials who went on the whoring tours to the UK to "test" ADE-651s.
He will either escape or be tried and swiftly executed, to prevent him from saying who else got money. Iraqi prosecutors / investigative judges do not know how to trade up and there is no plea bargaining.
Anon,
I too doubt that the general will ever see the inside of a prison.
Here is the craziest thing, a device that detects everithing ADE 651 ... at least this is what the the company ATSC LTD which is podece it pretend.
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