The head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Mohammed Ali Al-Lami, confirmed today, Monday, the importance of enhancing international cooperation and coordination in pursuing fugitives and suspects in corruption cases, and accelerating the procedures for tracking them and exchanging relevant information, which contributes to tightening the noose around fugitives and preventing them from using other countries as havens to escape justice.
The commission stated in a statement received by the Video News Agency that Al-Lami met with the head of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), Lucas Philip, on the sidelines of his participation in the government delegation accompanying Prime Minister Ali Falah Al-Zaydi during his visit to France, where the two sides discussed ways to develop cooperation mechanisms and activate direct communication channels regarding the wanted individuals in corruption cases and facilitate the exchange of information.
Al-Lami emphasized that the transnational nature of corruption crimes makes international cooperation a fundamental pillar in combating them, noting that the escalation of anti-corruption campaigns in Iraq has pushed some perpetrators to resort to various methods to hinder their pursuit, such as seeking refuge under foreign nationalities or attempting to politicize criminal cases, which requires a swift international response and effective coordination with Interpol.
The statement continued that the discussions addressed mechanisms to expedite the tracking of fugitives and facilitate the exchange of evidence and documents, as well as enhance cooperation in building the capacities of Iraqi personnel involved in pursuing wanted individuals and recovering assets, and reaffirmed the importance of continuing coordination between the two sides to raise the level of response and support Iraq's efforts in recovering assets obtained from crimes.