MP urges revealing results of Mosul's ferry's investigations
Nineveh MP Nayef al-Shammari on Wednesday called for revealing the outcome of the investigations on the ferry sinking that took place in March, killing dozens of Iraqis.
Shammari also commented on reports saying that some activists and media persons receive threats by corrupt figures, saying that these figures want to bring Nineveh back to its previous situation.
On 21 March 2019, a ferry carrying passengers on the Tigris River near Mosul capsized and sank, killing 103 people,12 of them children, according to some reports.
The capsize was caused by overcrowding on-board the vessel, and by high water levels on the Tigris.
Subsequently, the parliament voted to sack Nineveh governor and his two deputies, in line with Abd al-Mahdi's request.
Arrest warrant
Late in March, Iraq issued a warrant for the arrest of the former governor of Nineveh on corruption chargea, two court officials said.
The warrant also included the arrest of some local officials after a court investigation concluded they colluded with the former governor in misusing their powers and committed financial violations, a Mosul court judge said.
However, Akoub denied that an arrest warrant was issued against him or that he faces a travel ban, refuting alleged judicial documents uncovered by a parliament member.
Akoub said that he cannot travel outside Iraq because his passport expired, adding that he is currently in his house in Erbil, which everyone knows its place. He affirmed that he is not intending to leave Iraq.
The former governor said that he is ready to appear before the court for any charge that he may face.
What Akoub faces?
Nineveh MP Faris al-Brifcani said that the fact-finding committee of Nineveh has become fully convinced of the existence of large corruption gangs, adding that the local government has legitimized the mechanisms of corruption for them.
The local government used to smuggle iron, sugar, oil and other important resources of the province.
The leader of the Nasr Alliance in Nineveh, Mohammed Abed Rabbo, said on Tuesday that the value of the files of corruption against Akoub is estimated at 200 billion Iraqi dinars.
"Nineveh Governor Nofal al-Akoub’s work throughout his term in office has been full of suspicions of corruption and waste of public money," Abed Rabbo said.
Abed Rabbo added that "the most prominent files raised were of reconstruction, removing debris, and treatment of patients in hospitals," noting that these files resulted in the waste of huge amounts of funds and the loss of 200 billion dinars, which was then reported to the regulatory bodies to investigate.
Regarding the debris file, Abed Rabbo said the local government could have accomplished it with 2 billion dinars, but 40 billion dinars were spent.