Iraqi authorities issued arrest warrants for a Sunni Arab member of parliament and his son, accusing them of embezzling millions of dollars meant to protect vulnerable oil pipelines, the head of a government watchdog agency said Sunday.Meshaan al-Jiburi and his son, Yazin, allegedly pocketed money earmarked for creating a paramilitary force to protect oil pipelines in the north against insurgent attacks, according to Judge Radhi al-Radhi, chairman of the High Commission of Integrity.
The whereabouts of al-Jiburi and his son are unknown, and officials said they may have fled the country. Al-Radhi said Iraqi authorities have asked the Interpol for help in tracking them down.
Al-Radhi told The Associated Press the two allegedly collected government funds after providing lists of fictional recruits and submitting bills for their expenses. He declined to give an exact figure.
"Each time pipelines in the area were attacked, they asked to recruit more guards as well as salary increases for the recruits," al-Radhi said. "It had become apparent that attacks were increasing rather than decreasing."
Insurgent attacks against Iraq's oil industry, the country's lifeline, have been frequent since 2003, crippling reconstruction efforts and stoking popular discontent.
Beside the loss in revenues from oil exports, the disruption reduces the flow of fuel to electric power stations, causing lengthy outages in Baghdad and other cities.
The elder al-Jiburi was elected to parliament in January 2005 and again Dec. 15. He was a candidate for parliament speaker last year but his nomination was vetoed by Shiite lawmakers, who argued he had close links to Saddam Hussein's now-outlawed Baath party.
Iraq's election authorities are expected to ratify the results of the December elections later this week, paving the way for the new 275-seat parliament to hold its first session.