MESOP “THE FAT CATS OF KURDISTAN” – Evidence exists on billions of dollars were taken by Iraqi Kurdistan officials: MPs

14 Nov 20016 – SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Two Kurdish lawmakers say they have evidence regional officials took thousands of millions of dollars from the people of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.MPs Ali Hama Salih and Soran Omer said in a press conference on Sunday they were determined to release “fully detailed documents” despite pressure to hide the evidence.Cash was taken from banks and the funds used since 2013, according to the lawmakers , and it is unclear from where this cash was taken.“In 2013 when there was no economic crisis in the Kurdistan Region, a lot of cash was taken and used, such as, five billion dinars for disabled people who have received only three months of benefits over the last 14 months,” Salih said.

“Up to 40 billion [was taken] from the Peshmerga forces, seven billion from the Board of Environment and Education Ministry, four billion from the Women’s Council and Independent Commission for Human Rights” the lawmaker added. “This is as well as 61 billion and $1.5 million from Hiwa Hospital, which is for people with cancer. Salih referred to the report published by the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) noting the ministry said it has given $141 million to Kirkuk for petrodollars and companies in the last five months, while Kirkuk has not had production companies aside from North Oil Company.

“The ministry said it has paid $43 million to Kirkuk in the last month,” Salih said. “I hope the governor and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) will respond on whether they have got the money or not”.  The lawmakers objected to the idea the war against the Islamic State (IS) was a reason for the economic crisis, saying the government should not use the fight as an excuse to not pay employees.“One of their excuses is that there is no budget and they have spent money in the IS fight,” Salih said. “Four oilfields were regained, Avana, Bai Hassan, Ain Zala and Batmo, by the bravery of Peshmerga.”“So far, $12 billion was obtained for oil sales and only one billion was spent for the Peshmerga in the IS fight,” the lawmaker continued. “The officials have sold oil for $11 billion and it is unclear where this money is.”

MP Soran Omar also said the two lawmakers gave the documents to the PUK, the Change Movement (Gorran), the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and the Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG) a few months ago but they were not investigating. Last week, MP Salih said the revenue of oil in the Kurdistan Region in the last month was more than $1 billion and accused the MNR of transferring half of the money back to the Kurdistan Region.Lawmaker Ali Hama Salih from Gorran said the MNR exported 664,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) while only 50,000 barrels were given to the Iraqi State Organization for Marketing Oil (SOMO).

The MNR announced on November 10 that it exported more than 540,000 barrels of oil bpd to Ceyhan Port in the month of October. The KRG generated $636,364,810 from crude oil exports through Ceyhan in the month of October but the Kurdish government received only $416,511,598, which was spent for the region’s employees along with other income, the MNR added. www.mesop.de