Iraq

Iraq: Head of Investment Authority Dismissed, Oil Distribution Company Director Arrested

Laith Al-jnaidi

09 July 2026 • Updated: 09 July 2026

photo: from: investpromo.gov.iq/ar/ / AA

IRAQ

Istanbul / Laith Al-jnaidi / Anadolu

Iraqi parliament voted to dismiss Haider Makiya, head of the National Investment Commission

Senior sources reported the arrest of Hussein Talib, Director General of the Oil Products Distribution Company

This is part of a broad security and judicial campaign to combat financial and administrative corruption in state institutions

The Iraqi parliament voted on Thursday to dismiss Haider Makiya, head of the National Investment Commission, and decided to 'refer his files to the Integrity Commission,' which is responsible for investigating corruption cases.

This came in a brief statement by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), without details on the accusations against Makiya or the reasons for his dismissal.

In a related context, INA quoted unnamed senior sources as saying that Hussein Talib, Director General of the state-owned Oil Products Distribution Company, was arrested by a special security force on corruption charges.

Official authorities have not announced the reasons for these simultaneous decisions, but these moves come in line with a broad security and judicial campaign led by the authorities to combat financial and administrative corruption in state institutions.

Days earlier, Iraqi authorities announced the arrest of dozens of suspects in major financial and administrative corruption cases, including lawmakers and officials whose legal immunity was lifted.

These developments came based on confessions related to the case of detained Deputy Oil Minister Adnan Al-Jumaili, who was dismissed on June 2 last year on suspicions of wasting public funds and signing illegal contracts.