Ministry of Health inspectors general: referral by Parliament (2013), accusations and removal (2018) and in-absentia sentences (from 2022 to 2023)
In March 2013 former health minister Salih al-Hasnawi said Inspector General Adel Muhsin was involved in 89 corruption cases. On 13 May 2013 Parliament approved the recommendations of an investigative committee and referred Adel Muhsin Abdullah and the ministry's head of contract monitoring to the Integrity Commission and the public prosecutor on charges of forgery, abuse of office, extortion and waste of public money. A court source said he surrendered to the integrity judge in Najaf, who ordered his detention, in July 2013; an integrity court in Nasiriyah released him on bail in October 2013. On 10 April 2018 the ministry, under Minister Adila Hammoud, said Inspector General Ahmed Rahim al-Saadi ran the largest corruption network in the ministry. He denied this and said the minister had attacked him after he found serious corruption in a kidney dialysis contract. An Alsumaria news bulletin on 2 May 2018 reported the dismissal of the ministry's inspector general over suspected corruption. In June 2022 and January 2023 the Integrity Commission reported in-absentia sentences of seven years and two years against a former inspector general of the ministry, whom it did not name.
- Period
- From March 2013 to January 2023
- Sector
- HealthMinistry oversight (Office of the Inspector General)
- Kind of case
- Criminal prosecution
- Jurisdiction
- Federal Iraq
How the money moved
Alleged abuse of the inspector general's office: extortion, forgery, misuse of grants and withholding of official records.
What happened
2013: referral by Parliament, detention and release on bail; no verdict is on record. 2018: removal of the inspector general reported. 2022 and 2023: in-absentia sentences of seven and two years against an unnamed former inspector general.
Open questions
- Which former inspector general the 2022 and 2023 verdicts concern.
- Outcome of the 2013 case against Adel Muhsin Abdullah.
- Results of any inquiry into the 2018 accusations between Ahmed Rahim al-Saadi and Minister Adila Hammoud.
People and companies
| Name | Role in the case | Legal status | Detail | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Former Inspector General of the Ministry of Health (not named in the verdict statements) المفتش العام السابق لوزارة الصحة (لم يُذكر اسمه) | Former Inspector General, Ministry of Health | Convicted (reported) | The Integrity Commission said the Rusafa criminal court for integrity cases sentenced him in absentia to seven years under Article 340 of the Penal Code for spending IQD 200 million of grants from the Popular Medical Clinics directorate outside the rules (6 June 2022), and that the Rusafa misdemeanour court sentenced the 'fugitive convict' to two years' rigorous imprisonment for keeping official records of the inspector general's office at his home after his removal (15 January 2023). The Commission did not name him or say which former inspector general he is. | 19 October 2026 |
| Adel Muhsin Abdullah عادل محسن عبد الله | Inspector General, Ministry of Health (until 2013) | Released on bail | Accused in March 2013 by former health minister and MP Salih al-Hasnawi of involvement in 89 corruption cases. On 13 May 2013 Parliament approved its investigative committee's recommendations and referred him and the ministry's head of contract monitoring to the Integrity Commission and the public prosecutor on charges of forgery, abuse of office, extortion and waste of public money. A court source said he surrendered to the Najaf integrity judge, who ordered his detention (July 2013), and that the Nasiriyah integrity investigation court released him on bail pending the investigation (3 October 2013). No later outcome is on record as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
| Ahmed Rahim al-Saadi أحمد رحيم الساعدي | Inspector General, Ministry of Health (in April 2018) | Removed from office | On 10 April 2018 the Ministry of Health, under Minister Adila Hammoud, said he ran the largest corruption network in the ministry and that the file had been sent to the Integrity Commission, the public prosecutor and the first integrity judge in Rusafa. He denied this and said the minister's attack followed his finding of serious corruption in a kidney dialysis contract. An Alsumaria news bulletin on 2 May 2018 reported the dismissal of the ministry's inspector general over suspected corruption. No court outcome naming him is on record as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
| Head of contract monitoring of the Ministry of Health in 2013 (not named) مدير قسم رقابة ومتابعة العقود في وزارة الصحة عام 2013 (لم يُذكر اسمه) | Head of the contract monitoring and follow-up section, Ministry of Health | Accused by an official body | Referred by Parliament with Inspector General Adel Muhsin Abdullah to the Integrity Commission and the public prosecutor on 13 May 2013, on charges of forgery, abuse of office, extortion and waste of public money. No outcome is on record as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
| Adila Hammoud عديلة حمود | Minister of Health (in office in April 2018) | Accused by an official body | In April 2018 her ministry accused Inspector General Ahmed Rahim al-Saadi of running a corruption network. He replied in a statement that her attack followed his discovery of serious corruption in a kidney dialysis contract, which he said she had tried to award to a single failing company. No charge against her is on record as of 19 October 2026. | 19 October 2026 |
Sources
- Alsumaria News (parliamentary decision)13 May 2013Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
مجلس النواب يحيل مفتش عام الصحة ومدير عقود الوزارة إلى النزاهة والادعاء العام
Original addressوافق مجلس النواب العراقي ، الاثنين، على إحالة المفتش العام في الوزارة الدكتور عادل محسن عبد الله ومدير قسم رقابة ومتابعة العقود في وزارة الصحة الى هيئة النزاهة والادعاء العام بتهم التزوير واستغلال المنصب والابتزاز وهدر المال العام
- Alsumaria News (Ministry of Health statement)10 April 2018Government statementTier B
الصحة تكشف عن اكبر "مافيا فساد" فيها يترأسها مفتش عام الوزارة
Original addressواضافت الوزارة ان "هذه المافيا يديرها المفتش العام للوزارة احمد رحيم الساعدي
- Alsumaria News (statement of the Inspector General)10 April 2018Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
مفتش الصحة يكذب حمود ويعد تصريحاتها ردا على تورطها بـ"ملف فساد خطير"
Original addressوقال رحيم الساعدي في بيان تلقت السومرية نيوز ، إن " المفتش العام لوزارة الصحة يكذب ماصرحت به وزيرة الصحة بخصوص شبكة الفساد"،
- Alsumaria News (Inspector General statement)11 November 2018Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
المفتش العام للصحة يرد على تصريحات الموسوي بشأن وجود "هدر" بمبلغ 95 مليون دولار
Original addressإن "ما تناقلته بعض وسائل الأعلام يــوم أمس (10/11/2018) بشأن خبر اورده النائب جواد الموسوي هو خبر عاري عن الصحة تماماً
- Alsumaria News (Integrity Commission statement)6 June 2022Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة: السجن 7 سنوات لمفتش عام وزارة الصحة سابقاً
Original addressبإصدار محكمة جنايات الرصافة المُختصَّة بقضايا النزاهة حكماً غيابياً بحق المُفتِّش العام لوزارة الصِّحَّة سابقاً يقضي بالسجن سبع سنواتٍ؛ لإلحاقه ضرراً بالمال العام، مُوضحةً أنَّ الحكم الصادر بحق المُتَّهم جاء؛ جرَّاء تلقيه منحاً ماليَّة من دائرة العيادات الطبيَّة الشعبيَّة
- 964media (Integrity Commission statement)15 January 2023Official statement reported by the mediaTier B
النزاهة: الحبس الشديد للمفتش العام السابق بوزارة الصحة
Original addressمحكمة جنح الرصافة المُختصَّة بقضايا النزاهة وغسل الأموال والجريمة الاقتصاديَّة حكمت على المُدان الهارب المُفتّش العامّ لوزارة الصحَّة سابقاً، بالحبس الشديد لمُدَّة سنتين، مُبيّنةً عدم قيام المتهم بتسليم مُستنداتٍ وأوليَّاتٍ وكتبٍ رسميَّةٍ تخصُّ مكتب المفتش العام
- Alsumaria News31 March 2013Press reportTier D
وزير الصحة السابق يطالب القضاء وهيئة النزاهة بملاحقة مفتش عام الوزارة
Original addressمعتبراً أن "المفتش العام بوزارة الصحة عادل محسن متورط بـ89 قضية فساد مالي وإداري".
- Alsumaria News2 July 2013Press reportTier D
مفتش الصحة يسلم نفسه إلى قاضي النزاهة في النجف والأخير يقرر توقيفه
Original addressإن "المفتش العام لوزارة الصحة عادل محسن سلم نفسه، يوم أمس الاثنين، إلى قاضي النزاهة في النجف الذي أمر بتوقيفه على ذمة التحقيق"،
- Alsumaria News3 October 2013Press reportTier D
محكمة النزاهة في ذي قار تطلق سراح مفتش وزارة الصحة السابق بكفالة
Original addressإن "محكمة تحقيق النزاهة في الناصرية اطلقت، اليوم، سراح مفتش وزارة الصحة السابق عادل محسن بكفالة لحين استكمال اجراءات التحقيق".
- Alsumaria TV (evening news bulletin)2 May 2018Press reportTier D
اقالة مفتش عام وزارة الصحة اثر شبهات فساد، نشرة أخبار السومرية المساء ٢ أيار ٢٠١٨
Original addressاقالة مفتش عام وزارة الصحة اثر شبهات فساد
- Alsumaria News10 November 2018Press reportTier D
بالوثيقة.. نائب يكشف عن فساد بوزارة الصحة بقيمة 95 مليون دولار
Original addressان "هذا الفساد متورط به المفتش العام لوزارة الصحة".