Iraqi army 'had 50,000 ghost troops' on payroll (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

An investigation into corruption in the Iraqi army has revealed that there were 50,000 false names on its payroll.

Known in the military as "ghost soldiers", they either did not exist or no longer reported for duty, however their salaries were still paid.

A statement from the PM's office said the payments have been stopped.

Correspondents say rampant corruption in the Iraqi army is seen as one of the reasons why it has struggled to contain Islamic State militants.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, quoted by AFP news agency, said the investigation began when the latest salary payments were made.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30269343

[jakeXT]

1. It happens /nt