Ali Abo Rezeg
03 August 2016•Update: 03 August 2016
By Hadi Hassan
BAGHDAD
Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker Salim al-Jubouri has filed a defamation lawsuit against Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, al-Jubouri’s office said Wednesday.
"The parliamentary speaker filed a lawsuit at the Court of Al-Karkh [a district in Baghdad] against Defense Minister al-Obeidi," al-Jubouri’s media office said in a statement.
The move comes shortly after al-Obeidi publicly accused the parliamentary speaker -- along with several MPs -- of engaging in corrupt practices.
Al-Jubouri’s lawsuit, his office said, was intended to counter "false allegations" made by al-Obeidi "that have misled public opinion and insulted sovereign state institutions".
The statement went on to stress al-Jubouri’s "belief in the ability of the Iraqi judiciary to get to the truth of the matter and punish the guilty".
It added: "The Iraqi public has the right to know the truth behind al-Obeidi’s false claims, which affect the state’s most important institution."
Al-Obeidi accused the parliamentary speaker and several MPs of corruption during a Monday parliamentary session.
Early Wednesday, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said it had drawn up a committee tasked with examining al-Obeidi’s claims.
