Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Head of the Martyrs Foundation, Abdul-Ilah Al-Naeli, revealed on Tuesday that extensive investigative audits have uncovered more than 22,000 forged beneficiary files, resulting in the squandering of approximately 3.2 trillion Iraqi Dinars (~$2.44 billion) in illicit state compensation and pension payouts.
Speaking on the televised program “Al-Mashhad” aired by state-run Al Iraqiya News and reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Naeli confirmed that 27,400 fraudulent and suspect files have been officially suspended, exposing widespread systemic fraud that included convicted terrorists and former Ba’ath Party figures on beneficiary compensation rolls.
Key Audit Metrics & Financial Losses
Total Financial Waste: Estimated at 3.2 trillion IQD (~$2.44B) across historical fraudulent claims and unverified files through 2024.
Suspended Files:27,400 files halted following comprehensive joint audits initiated in 2021 alongside national security services.
Confirmed Forged Records:22,041 fraudulent files documented across multiple governorates.
Ineligible Beneficiary Breakdown:
2,305 documented terrorists unlawfully inserted into beneficiary rolls.
471 former Ba’athist figures registered under compensation entitlements.
1,331 general ineligible cases flagged for statutory exclusion.
Anbar Death Certificate Irregularities: Anbar Governorate emerged as the epicenter of fraudulent documentation, where investigative committees uncovered 14,200 to 20,000 death certificates issued without physical bodies or proof of remains via compromised judicial death-ruling mechanisms (Hujjat Wafat).
Audit Progress: Auditing teams have finalized scrutiny on approximately 40% of all foundation archives.
Al-Naeli identified local sub-committees, unregulated document brokers (mu’aqeebin), and administrative vulnerabilities within the National Pension Board as the primary conduits for passing unverified paperwork directly into state payout systems without passing central foundation scrutiny.
Corrupt networks commercialized verification barcodes and leveraged paper-based routines in provincial branches to bypass security vetting. Al-Naeli confirmed meeting with Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan to initiate criminal proceedings against complicit officials, emphasizing that political pressure will not deter the foundation from expanding digital automation to permanently eradicate fraud.