SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The General Directorate of security forces (Asaiysh) in Sulaimani announced on Friday that it detained five businessmen who illegally dealt with public properties including lands.
Sulaimani’s Asayish in a statement said the security forces detained five businessmen with dozens of officials and government employees who illegally dealt with public properties inside administrative institutions.
In coordination with the Kurdistan Commando forces, Asaiysh detained the offenders by the judge’s order, according to Asaiysh’s statement received by Esta Media Network.
“We will continue to track and detain all of the offenders who took advantage of the public interest and used their position to carry out illicit jobs,” it said.
“The detainees have abused power and their positions in the governmental institutions to conduct illicit jobs, they used their titles far from any morals to execute illegal dealings for bribes and dealt with public lands” it added.
Authorities in Sulaimani continue to tackle down the offenders who illegally dealt with public lands, either for bribes or blackmailing after PUK President Bafel Talabani on Tuesday warned the officials from the party and the military as well as at the governmental level to not use their positions for personal gain and avoid power abusing, otherwise, they will face prosecution.
An edict released by the PUK presidency on Tuesday and signed by President Talabani has indicated, from this moment of no PUK official from any level of responsibility, either military or in the government, is allowed to use his/her position and entitlements for personal gains, such as seizing public properties and lands or pressuring government employees to cooperate with them.
President Talabani called on all parties the take the same stance, according to the edict.
Talabani’s directive came after when the head of Sulaimani municipality Layla Omer amid a press conference on Tuesday announced that in the past, some high-level officials have used their positions to seize public lands or properties by blackmailing or using bribes and forcing the municipality employee illegally to help them.
She showed appreciation for Talabani’s efforts in terminating corruption inside the municipality.
