BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A political adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has rejected current allegations that staff on the premier’s workplace have been spying on and wire-tapping senior officers and politicians.
Since late August, Iraqi native media retailers and lawmakers have alleged that staff at Sudani’s workplace had been arrested on expenses of spying on senior officers.
“That is an inflated lie,” mentioned Fadi al-Shammari in an interview with an Iraqi broadcaster printed late on Friday, essentially the most express denial by a senior member of the prime minister’s staff.
He mentioned the allegations have been aimed toward undermining Sudani forward of parliamentary polls anticipated to be held subsequent yr.
“Every thing that has occurred within the final two weeks consists of media exaggeration opposite to actuality and the reality.”
The stories have induced a stir in Iraq, which has seen a interval of relative stability since Sudani was dropped at energy in late 2022 as a part of an settlement between ruling factions ending a year-long political stalemate.
Whereas there had been one arrest on the prime minister’s workplace in August, it had nothing to do with spying or wire-tapping, Shammari mentioned. The worker in query was detained after contacting lawmakers and different politicians whereas posing as a special individual, he mentioned.
“(He) talked to lawmakers utilizing completely different numbers and pretend names and requested them for numerous completely different recordsdata,” he added, with out offering particulars.
“There was no spying, no wiretapping.”