Local
A specialized oversight body announced today its success in uncovering and dismantling a salary embezzlement network within the Nineveh Education Directorate. This operation is part of intensive efforts to pursue those involved in squandering public funds, leading to the apprehension of an accountant accused of illicitly appropriating substantial sums by disbursing salaries to a "ghost employee" over six years. Details of the case, revealed through meticulous investigation, indicate that the suspect, an accountant in the Al-Hadar Education Department in Qayyarah, regularly disbursed monthly salaries in the name of a "ghost employee" from late 2017 until 2023. The accountant falsely claimed this employee had been transferred from the Ministry of Education's Erbil office to Al-Hadar, exploiting this pretense to divert funds for personal gain. Auditing and verification procedures revealed a complete absence of any official appointment order for the said employee in Al-Hadar Education records. Furthermore, this "employee" possessed no security clearance from Nineveh Education Directorate's security permits division. Examinations confirmed official records were entirely devoid of any initial documentation or papers supporting this individual's existence or alleged transfer, unequivocally establishing the fraudulent salary disbursement and appropriation. Concluding legal proceedings, an official arrest report was prepared, and the suspect, along with implicating evidence, was presented before the investigating judge of the Nineveh Court specialized in integrity cases. The judge subsequently ordered the suspect's detention in accordance with Article (315) of the Penal Code, based on the compelling evidence collected.
