In a significant move against corruption, Iraqi authorities have arrested the former governor of Saladin province, Ahmed al-Jubouri, on charges of misusing contract funds. Al-Jubouri, also known as Abu Mazen, was taken into custody in Baghdad on Saturday after allegations of embezzling funds from contracts during his tenure as governor from 2013 to 2014. His close associate, businessman Mohammed al-Hajaf, was arrested in Saladin province under the same charges. The arrests come amidst the government's continued efforts to combat corruption, with the State Administration Coalition reaffirming the need for an anti-graft campaign. This comes at a time when Iraq is under pressure from the United States to tackle corruption and disarm Iran-backed armed groups that have targeted US facilities in Iraq. Al-Jubouri was previously arrested in 2019 over allegations related to the construction of student dormitories at Tikrit University, but was later released on bail. The amount of money embezzled in this latest case has not been disclosed, and both al-Jubouri and al-Hajaf have yet to comment on the allegations.