Guarantees ensuring the effectiveness of the Integrity Commission’s oversight

Abstract

The legal system of the Integrity Commission, at both the federal and Kurdistan regional levels, mirrors the criminal policy of the Iraqi state, designed to tackle financial corruption arising from embezzlement and aggression against public finances. The legislature has entrusted the Integrity Commission with two types of financial oversight. The first, preventive over sight, is designed to deter the individual responsible for submitting financial disclosures from acquiring unlawful financial gains during or after their governmental tenure. The second form, known as deterrent oversight, seeks to inhibit the embezzlement and attacks on public finances by employing the Commission's corruption detection mechanisms. Upon discovering such cases, the Commission is required to forward them to another authority, specifically the judiciary, for investigation and adjudication, commencing with the inquiry court, followed by the misdemeanor or criminal court, contingent on the situation. The researcher posits that the assurances capable of realizing the Commission's goals of fighting financial corruption and safeguarding the integrity of public office are twofold: firstly, the conversion of the Integrity Commission into a judicial entity in terms of structure and jurisdiction, and secondly, the strengthening of the constitutional state's foundations.