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Iraq sacks central bank governor in corruption probe
Central Bank of Iraq (file photo)
Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:24AM GMT
Ali al-Moussawi, a spokesman for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said parliament voted on Tuesday to replace Sinan al-Shabibi, who has led the bank since shortly after the US-led invasion in March 2003.
A special parliamentary committee is investigating to determine whether the officials at the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) had intentionally weakened the value of the Iraqi dinar against the US dollar.
"The cabinet decided to authorize Abdelbasset Turki, the head of the Board of the Supreme Audit, to run the central bank indefinitely," Al-Moussawi said.
He added, "The parliament today made a unanimous decision to vote for Abdelbasset, who is already handling many financial governmental decisions including the country's fiscal budget."
"Subsequently, a decision was made to remove powers from al-Shabibi as central bank governor," the prime minister's spokesperson noted.
Meanwhile, chairman of the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, Baha al-Araji, said 30 warrants had been issued, including for Shabibi and his deputy Mudher Saleh.
Haider al-Abadi, a member of the investigating committee and the chairman of the parliamentary finance committee, also said authorities were trying to establish whether the actions of the CBI officials were a reckless oversight or intentional.
"There was a huge pressure on the currency, with the difference between buying and selling increasing in the local market, affecting the mass public," he said.
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