Iraqi Officials to Make Finances Public

[Barrett808]

Iraqi Officials to Make Finances Public
By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Senior Iraqi officials, from the president down to judges, will have to disclose their personal finances under new anti-corruption rules aimed at keeping the country's future government clean and prosecuting past malfeasance.

The rules, set by a new commission and announced Saturday, reflect Iraqi efforts to redress the endemic corruption that warped the economy and government under Saddam Hussein. They are also meant to show the Iraqi public that things will be different when a new government takes power by the end of June.

"The commission will not have a magic wand to end all corruption in Iraq. But it's a good start," Iraqi Governing Council member Mouwafak al-Rubaie told reporters as he announced details of the Public Integrity Commission. "It is nearly an impossible job to do."

"We will not leave any stone unturned," said al-Rubaie, who headed the council committee that formed the agency.

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