Anbar Health Directorate: IQD 15 billion embezzlement finding, arrests and convictions of former directors (from 2014 to 2023)
On 29 January 2019 the Ministry of Health's Inspector General said an inquiry had found that a former director general of the Anbar Health Directorate, its head of accounts and an expenses accountant had altered cheques and used fictitious statements for health centres in Karma, so that IQD 15.12 billion was embezzled; the cheques were meant for deductions for the Popular Mobilisation Forces and the displaced, for staff promotions and for purchasing committees. In January 2020 an Anbar court issued arrest warrants for a former director general, the head of accounts and two accountants over IQD 854 million. Shafaq News reported on 5 April 2021, citing a local official, that police had arrested former director general Abdul Sattar Kadhim Lawas al-Issawi on a charge of wasting public money. In November 2022 the Integrity Commission said the Anbar Criminal Court had sentenced a former director general, in his presence, to six years over IQD 4.61 billion, to two years over IQD 1.23 billion of promotion money for 2016 and 2017, and to two more years over IQD 249.6 million. In May 2023 Jordan arrested the directorate's former deputy head of accounts, who had six in-absentia sentences totalling 57 years.
- Period
- From 2014 to December 2023
- Sector
- HealthProvincial health directorate accounts and procurement
- Kind of case
- Criminal prosecution
- Jurisdiction
- Federal Iraq
How the money moved
Altered cheques, fictitious payment statements and money drawn for works never done, in a directorate handling funds for health centres, staff promotions and purchasing.
What happened
Three reported convictions of a former director general in person (November 2022). Arrest in Jordan of the former deputy head of accounts (May 2023). An arrest and search warrant in December 2023 against a former director general over medical equipment bought for Fallujah Teaching Hospital in 2014. An arrest warrant against former director general Shakir Ahmed al-Hajj in January 2017 over missing cancer medicines, reported by the provincial council and denied by him.
Open questions
- Whether the director general convicted in 2022 is Abdul Sattar Kadhim Lawas al-Issawi.
- Extradition from Jordan and retrial of the former deputy head of accounts.
- Outcome of the 2017 cancer medicines case and of the Fallujah hospital equipment case.
People and companies
| Name | Role in the case | Legal status | Detail | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Former Director General of the Anbar Health Directorate (not named in the verdict statements) المدير العام السابق لدائرة صحة الأنبار (لم يُذكر اسمه) | Former Director General, Anbar Health Directorate | Convicted (reported) | The Integrity Commission said the Anbar Criminal Court (first panel) sentenced him in person to six years for the waste and embezzlement of IQD 4.61 billion and the keeping of ten cheques of a medical supplier, and to two years for embezzling IQD 1.23 billion of 2016 and 2017 promotion money (6 November 2022), and to a further two years for taking IQD 249.6 million for health centres in Karma without doing the works (28 November 2022). Not named. | 19 October 2026 |
| Abdul Sattar Kadhim Lawas al-Issawi عبد الستار كاظم لواص العيساوي | Former Director General, Anbar Health Directorate | Arrested | Arrested by Anbar SWAT forces at his workplace in Amiriyah hospital on a charge under Article 340 of the Penal Code (waste of public money), according to a local official quoted by Shafaq News on 5 April 2021. No published verdict naming him is on record as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
| Former deputy head of accounts of the Anbar Health Directorate (not named) معاون مدير حسابات دائرة صحة الأنبار السابق (لم يُذكر اسمه) | Former deputy head of accounts, Anbar Health Directorate | Arrested | Arrested in Jordan on international warrants (Integrity Commission statement relayed by the press, 16 May 2023). He had six in-absentia sentences totalling 57 years over damage to public money of IQD 21.92 billion. The outcome of his extradition was not found as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
| Shakir Ahmed al-Hajj شاكر أحمد الحاج | Former Director General, Anbar Health Directorate | Accused by an official body | Iman al-Ukaidi, head of the Anbar provincial council's integrity committee, said on 25 January 2017 that an arrest warrant had been issued against him over cancer medicines worth USD 4 million that went missing from Ramadi General Hospital. He denied on 26 January 2017 that any warrant had been issued and said he was ready to appear before the Integrity Commission and the courts. No later outcome is on record as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
Sources
- Alsumaria News25 January 2017Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
لجنة النزاهة بمجلس الانبار: إصدار أمر قبض بحق مدير صحة المحافظة السابق
Original addressنزاهة الأنبار أصدرت مذكرة قبض بحق مدير عام صحة الأنبار السابق شاكر أحمد الحاج بتهمة إختفاء أدوية للأمراض السرطانية بقيمة أربعة ملايين دولار من مستشفى الرمادي العام
- Alsumaria News (Ministry of Health Inspector General statement)29 January 2019Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
الصحة تكشف عن "اختلاس" 15 مليار دينار من دائرة صحة الأنبار
Original addressوأضاف المكتب، أن "الفريق التحقيقي ذكر أن المدير العام السابق لدائرة صحة الانبار ومدير شعبة الحسابات ومحاسب النفقات قاموا بشطب وتلاعب في بعض الصكوك العائدة إلى لجان المشتريات، وكذلك وجود كشوفات وهمية تخص المراكز الصحية لقطاع الكرمة
- Alsumaria News (Integrity Commission statement)21 January 2020Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة الاتحادية: صدور أوامر قبض لمسؤولين وموظفين بصحة الأنبار
Original addressأصدرت أوامر قبض بحق كل من المتهمين، المدير العام لصحة المحافظة سابقا، إضافة إلى مدير الحسابات واثنين من المحاسبين في الدائرة، عن تهمة اختلاس مبالغ مالية تقدر بــ(854,000,000) مليون دينار عبر التلاعب والتحريف بالمبالغ الحقيقية للسلف المصروفة".
- Baghdad Today (Integrity Commission statement)6 November 2022Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة تعلن صدور 3 أحكام بإدانة مديري صحة الأنبار وبابل
Original addressأصدرت حكماً حضورياً بالسجن لمُدَّة ست سنواتٍ بحقِّ المُدير العام لدائرة صحَّة الأنبار السابق؛ لتسبُّبه بهدر واختلاس مبلغ (4,614,622,156) مليارات دينارٍ"، مُبيِّنةً أنَّ "المُدان تسلَّم المبلغ المذكور وقام بصرفه خلافاً للتعليمات،
- Baghdad Today (Integrity Commission statement)28 November 2022Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة تعلن صدور قرار إدانةٍ جديدٍ بحق مدير عام صحة الأنبار
Original addressمبلغ (249,578,000) مليون دينار من لجنة استلام الصكوك في الدائرة؛ لغرض تأهيل المراكز الصحيَّـة في قضاء الكرمة، مُبيِّنةً أنَّ المُدان لم يُنفِّذْ أيَّاً من الأعمال التي خُصِّصَ لها المبلغ المذكور
- 964media (Integrity Commission statement)16 May 2023Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة: القبض على مسؤول سابق في صحة الأنبار عليه 6 أحكام بالسجن غيابياً
Original addressألقت القبض على المُدان الهارب معاون مدير حسابات دائرة صحَّة محافظة الأنبار سابقاً؛ لإلحاقه ضرراً في المال العام بلغ مقداره (21,921,528,023)
- 964media (Integrity Commission statement)27 December 2023Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة تلاحق مدير عام صحة الأنبار السابق.. متهم بهدر المال العام
Original addressأصدر أمر قبضٍ وتفتيشٍ بحقِّ المُتَّهم المدير العام السابق لدائرة صحَّة محافظة الأنبار؛ عن موضوع المُخالفات الحاصلة في تجهيز مستشفى الفلوجة التعليميّ بأجهزةٍ طبيَّةٍ خلال العام 2014.
- Alsumaria News26 January 2017Press reportTier D
مدير صحة الأنبار السابق ينفي صدور امر قبض بحقه من قبل النزاهة
Original addressوقال الحاج في حديث لـ السومرية نيوز ، "ننفي صدور امر قبض بحقنا من قبل نزاهة الأنبار".
- Shafaq News5 April 2021Press reportTier D
القبض على مدير عام صحة الانبار السابق
Original addressعن إلقاء القبض على مدير عام دائرة صحة الأنبار السابق عبد الستار كاظم لواص العيساوي، بتهمة هدر المال العام.
Related cases
- Babil Health Directorate: former director general Nawras Abd al-Razzaq Abd al-Shahid, 12 in-absentia sentences and return from the UAE (from 2017 to 2024)
- Salah al-Din Health Directorate: travel ban on the director general, arrests over IQD 12 billion in fake payments and a seven-year sentence (from 2023 to 2026)