UN@15%: Officials deputed in Iraq to weed out corruption caught taking bribes for post-war reconstruction contracts

Corruption has been described as “the lifeblood of politics in Iraq,” and for this, the United Nations was tasked to oversee the allocation of contracts for post-war reconstruction projects, with an aim of keeping things transparent. However, allegations have arisen that staff within UNDP engaged in demanding bribes from businessmen seeking assistance in securing contracts. The Guardian carried out an investigation in which it found that bribes of up to 15 per cent of the contract value have been demanded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) staff. Also, it came to fore that taking bribery is not new in Iraq and it dates backs to 2003 since Saddam Hussein was overthrown. Why UNDP staff are taking bribe from businessmen? The report said the UN employees take bribes to help the contractor navigate the complex UNDP’s bidding system and ensure they pass the vetting process. ‘You can get nothing without paying’ “Nobody can get a contract without paying. There’s nothing in this country you can get without paying, not from the government, not from UNDP,” the report quoted a contractor as saying, who claimed that they had been approached by UNDP staff demanding bribes. A UNDP scheme launched in 2015 and backed by $1.5bn (£1.2bn) in support so far from 30 donors, including the UK. Since the 2003 US-led invasion, the international community has pumped billions of aid dollars into Iraq. It has been more than 20 years and the country, despite being the world’s fourth-largest oil producer and generating a record-breaking $115bn in oil revenues in 2023, continues to suffer from poor services and infrastructure. Not a transparent deal The report, said to have interviewed more than two dozen current and former UN employees, contractors, Iraqi and western officials, mentioned a UNDP employee saying the deals were made in person rather than on paper to avoid detection. Also, sometimes there were influential Iraqis serving as guarantors. “The third party also takes a share of the kickback,” they said, adding that the contractors would “choose people with relationships and power”. The report further said interviewees spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. They said the programme had undergone an unwarranted expansion and extension that had mostly served to sustain the UNDP’s footprint while absolving the Iraqi government of its own obligations to rebuild the country. Govt officials take a cut too It is also being alleged that government officials entrusted by the UNDP to oversee construction projects also take a cut. The report cited contractors and UNDP staff, who have overseen projects, saying officials used that authority to “extort” bribes from companies in return for signing off completed projects. Two contractors told they were forced to make such payments. What UNDP has to say? The UNDP said it has taken allegations of corruption and lack of transparency “very seriously” and had “zero tolerance for fraud and corruption”. “This policy applies equally to UNDP staff members, as well as other personnel, vendors, implementing partners, and responsible parties engaged by UNDP. Any allegation of bribery, corruption, or fraud is thoroughly assessed and, where appropriate, investigated by UNDP’s independent Office of Audit and Investigation," the UN agency said.