Between corruption and mismanagement, Al-Mandlawi embroils Parliament in a political and financial crisis.
Between corruption and mismanagement, Al-Mandlawi embroils Parliament in a political and financial crisis.
6-18-2025
Information / Baghdad..
The threads of what has become known as the 2024 budget manipulation scandal are becoming more and more apparent. At the heart of this scandal is First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohsen al-Mandalawi, amid mounting accusations of his involvement in financial and administrative corruption, his intentional obstruction of the election of a new parliament speaker, and his exploitation of his position for personal and commercial gain.
An informed parliamentary source revealed, in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, that “Al-Mandlawi is the primary suspect in the 2024 budget manipulation case, as data indicates a huge financial discrepancy of more than 15 trillion dinars between the tables sent by the government and those voted on by Parliament.”
According to the source, “the parliamentary investigations that were underway to uncover this manipulation were directly obstructed by Mandalawi, who exploited his influence while serving as acting Speaker of Parliament to pressure the investigative committee and halt its work.” He added that “the investigative committee had requested documents from the Finance Committee and obtained them, but the investigation was abruptly halted and its results have not yet been announced.”
The source stressed that “this breach is one of the most serious forms of corruption, especially in light of the absence of final accounts, which allows for the manipulation of allocations and financial transfers without real oversight and opens the door to the illegal disbursement of funds.”
In another aspect of the accusations, political observer Sabah Al-Akeili told Al-Maalouma News Agency that “Mandlawi was one of the most prominent factors preventing the election of a new speaker of parliament after the dismissal of Mohammed al-Halbousi, as he exploited his acting position to deepen the political divide, rather than resolve it.”
Al-Akeili added that “Mandlawi did not seek to resolve the differences between Sunni forces, but rather worked to exacerbate the situation by including controversial laws on the session agenda, which led to a boycott by several parliamentary blocs and the disruption of the Legislative Council’s work.”
He pointed out that “his tenure in office witnessed a significant increase in his personal wealth, which raises legitimate questions about the nature of the gains reaped by certain figures from the political vacuum and the exploitation of temporary positions to achieve narrow goals.”
In the same context, MP Mohammed Fadhel al-Dulaimi had previously stated via the X platform that “Mandlawi failed to manage the parliament’s sessions, deliberately ignored the constitution, internal regulations, and Federal Court rulings, and insulted a number of his fellow MPs, which contributed to distorting the image of the legislative institution in the eyes of the Iraqi public.”
These combined accusations open the door wide to calls for a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the budget and ongoing legislative irregularities. Economic experts warn that the lack of transparency and the failure to submit final accounts reinforce suspicions of systematic financial corruption permeating state institutions, with no accountability or oversight.
While the House of Representatives continues to be in a state of stagnation, questions remain about Mohsen al-Mandalawi’s true role during the past period, and the extent of his responsibility in complicating the country’s financial and political landscape.
almaalomah.me
