Iraqi federal commission of integrity has issued an arrest warrant for three members of Kirkuk provincial council for their refusal to return state vehicles and properties despite the suspension of the provincial councils in Iraq by the Iraqi parliament in October 2019.
The commission said in a statement on June 19th special court of integrity cases issued its order per article 340 of Iraqi penal code as the three members have not provided letter of clearance.
The statement by the commission have not mentioned the names of the three members yet an informed local official in Kirkuk administration anonymously told KirkukNow the three members are Rebwar Talabani, a Kurd, Irfan Kikukli, Turkmen and Edward Orhan Adisho, Christian
Talabani and Kirkukli left Kirkuk for Erbil following the events of October 16 when Iraqi forces launched Law enforcement process and ousted the Kurdish Peshmerga from Kirkuk which they controlled since ousting Saddam Hussein regime in April 2003.
Both have declined to return back to Kirkuk “for its turbulent security situation.”
“I have not received any letter and such a decision is sarcastic. In what logic the court asks for public properties while following October 16, all my house and properties were occupied?” Kirkukli told KirkukNow.
“Why the court and the Iraqi government do not address my lawsuits and calls to get back my property taken by forces in Kirkuk?” he added.
Iraqi penal code article 340 states any government employee or some one assigned to a public service and causes deliberate damage to the wealth or interest of that body; the penalty is imprisonment up to seven years.
The Iraqi parliament have suspended the provincial councils all over Iraq in October 2019 following demands by protestors and amendment of electoral law.
The oil rich-city of Kirkuk is home to about 1.2 million Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs, according to KRG figures in 2018.
Located 238 kilometers north of Baghdad, Kirkuk is the center of the disputed territories where Iraqi security forces have taken control in October 2017 following the declaration of defeat of ISIS by Iraqi government.
Kurds were holding the senior positions of Kirkuk such as governor Kirkuk and head of the provincial council up to 2017. Back in 2018 parliamentary elections, Kurds won 6 out of 13 seats, Arab and Turkmen each three and one quota seat for the Christians.
Currently, Iraqi army, local and federal police, Brigade 61 of Special Forces along with Shiite paramilitary of Popular Mobilization Forces PMF, are under Kirkuk joint operations’ command, an umbrella for the security forces running the security of Kirkuk province.
