Nineveh announces cooperation with oil investigating committee and threatens to sue those responsible for charges
30/06/2012 17:02DUHOK, June 30 (AKnews) - A member of the oil and energy committee in the Iraqi Council of Representatives announced today the formation of a committee to investigate the work of US oil company Exxon Mobil in the disputed areas. 
The spokesman for Nineveh province meanwhile said his government will cooperate with this committee and hinted about suing those who are behind the related charges.
MP Farhad al-Atrushi said: "The committee is made up of six members led by Adnan al-Janabi, head of the oil and energy committee, and the membership of three MPs of the National Alliance, two MPs from Iraqiya, including the chairman of the committee. And I represent the Kurdish Blocs Coalition.
"The committee will discuss a specific topic, which is the issue of Exxon Mobil in the disputed areas, and investigate whether there is an agreement between the governor of Nineveh province and the region.
"The issue will be discussed with the governor of Nineveh who may visit us at the Council of Representatives in Baghdad, or we will visit Nineveh province and submit a report to the Council of Representatives.
"Exxon Mobil will not have any representation on the committee, because this is an Iraqi issue. We may need to discuss the issue with the Kurdistan Regional Government.”
Qahtan Sami, the spokesman for Nineveh province, said” "The government of Nineveh province welcomes the formation of this investigative committee and we will cooperate with it completely.
"Athiel Nujaifi had obtained a renewal of confidence recently from the provincial council due to this issue where the council discussed the issue of charges against the governor.
“The charges claim that the governor held special agreements or deals with companies or granted lands an area of 10km in Duhok or the Kurdistan Region.
"In the absence of evidence of the charges, we will issue a lawsuit against those responsible to discredit the governor. It seems that the accusations were an attempt to divert attention from the political crises taking place in Baghdad between the Iraqi parties and transfer it to Nineveh province."
The political parties in Nineveh province earlier accused Athiel al-Nujaifi of holding secret deals with the Kurdistan Region and Exxon Mobil and granting them land for the benefit of the Kurdistan region.
By Khudr Khallat
RN/DM/AKnews
