Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-AbadiReuters

Iraqi lawmaker Mishaan al-Jubouri appeared last week on satellite TV, where he admitted to receiving bribes to close corruption cases, and revealed that the "whole government is corrupt...including me."

"I received bribes to close a corruption file, but I didn't close it. I took a few million dollars but didn't close the case," Jubouri told Aletejah TV, claiming he was not taking a bribe but rather fooling the "corrupt dog."

Sources in the Iraqi parliament on Friday told The New Arab that it was voted the previous day to launch an investigative committee to question Jubouri.

Jubouri said on TV that if he was to "reveal everything on satellite television they would immediately kill me."

"The whole of the ruling political class is involved in corruption and we are all in cahoots with them one way or another. We in the Commission of Integrity open corruption files, then they give us a bribe, so we close the files."

The lawmaker added, "we politicians are the reason behind Iraq's destruction, and the political class...are to blame for every hungry child in the country and every ill Iraqi who dies for the lack of medicine."

In response, sources revealed the Iraqi parliament on Thursday voted on "forming a committee to question MP Mishaan al-Jubouri over his comments in which he admitted to receiving bribes as well as other remarks in which he said there were (other) corrupt parliamentarians and government ministers."

Iraqi lawmaker Mohammad al-Jaf told The New Arab that the committee will likely refer the case to the judiciary, adding, "this is a criminal case and it is now public."