BAGHDAD, Oct 11: Iraq has issued arrest warrants for the former defence minister and two dozen other officials in connection with the alleged misappropriation of more than $1 billion from government coffers, investigators said on Tuesday.

Judge Radhi al-Radhi, the head of the Commission on Public Integrity charged with investigating government corruption, told Reuters the warrants were issued several days ago by prosecutors from Iraq’s criminal court. Officials from the criminal court were not immediately available for comment.

Ali al-Shaboot, a spokesman for the Commission on Public Integrity, said a total of 23 warrants had been issued, with the most high-profile for former defence minister Hazim al-Shaalan.

During Shaalan’s tenure, the defence ministry is alleged to have spent about $1.3 billion on military equipment, most of which was inappropriate, out of date and bought from intermediaries rather than suppliers in contravention of the law.

Shaalan, who is currently in London and also spends time in Jordan, has denied any wrongdoing.

At least three other former ministers in the interim government headed by Iyad Allawi, which served from June last year until April this year, are also being sought.

The remainder of the warrants are for lower level ministry employees and intermediaries linked to deals, officials said.

Laith Kubba, chief spokesman for the current government, said there was no suggestion as far as he knew that Allawi was implicated in any of the cases being investigated.

Judge Radhi told Reuters last month the investigation into the misappropriation of funds at the defence ministry was a case of ‘huge theft’ and said he expected half a dozen officials from the ministry eventually to be brought to justice.

However, he said on Tuesday that prosecutors had failed to deliver the warrant to Shaalan as he was not in Iraq, and said a request had been made to Interpol to deliver the warrant.

Officials at Interpol said they had not received any request from Iraq so far, but said it could sometimes take 24 hours or longer for requests to filter through their system.

Speaking to Arabiya television from London on Tuesday, Shaalan denied any wrongdoing and described the warrants as part of a witch hunt for members of the former government.

“It’s part of a planned series,” he told the Dubai-based Arabic channel. “They are trying to kill these personalities politically, but the Iraqi people are the smartest in the region and know exactly the game that is going on.”

As a member of parliament, Shaalan currently has immunity from prosecution.

The de-Baathification commission, a body that seeks to rid former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party from public office, is seeking to have his immunity revoked.

Asked by Arabiya if it might be revoked, Shaalan replied: “In Iraq these days, anything can happen.”—Reuters