The "steel-frame schools" (Duwaliya) school-building programme: most of the money spent, most schools unfinished (from 2008 to 2021)
In 2008 the Ministry of Education launched a programme to build some 200 schools through private contractors (and more broadly over 1,700 schools), including prefabricated steel-frame designs. OCCRP (September 2021) found that 13 years later most schools had not been finished to standard and most of the money was spent; Daraj put the waste at over $850m. Parliament referred the steel-frame schools file to the Integrity Commission from 2013 to 2014 among 25 major files.
- Period
- From 2008 to September 2021
- Sector
- Education and public worksMinistry of Education school construction
- Kind of case
- Media investigation
- Jurisdiction
- Federal Iraq
How the money moved, according to the sources
Advance payments to contractors without delivery, weak oversight, low-quality work and abandoned sites.
What happened
أُحيل الملف إلى هيئة النزاهة (2014)، ولم يُتح الاطلاع على نتائجه.
Open questions
- Contractor list, payments and court outcomes; value per school.
People and companies
This case does not name any person or company. It rests on figures and institutions.
Sources
- Al-Aalem Al-Jadeed21 January 2014Press reportTier D
البرلمان يحيل 25 قضية فساد الى النزاهة بينها المدارس الحديدية
Originalوالذي كان ابرزها ملف المدارس الحديدية
- OCCRP (Assad Zalzali)27 September 2021Press reportTier D
Iraq's Troubled School Building Lesson
Originalmost of the schools haven’t been finished to the government’s standards and most of the money is spent