ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi security forces late Sunday arrested Kadhim al-Sayadi, a former lawmaker, on charges of extortion, state media reported, the latest in a string of high-profile arrests on corruption-related charges. 

“Based on judicial orders issued by the Supreme Judicial Council, a security force arrested former lawmaker Kadhim al-Sayadi on charges of extortion,” state media said, citing “high-ranking sources.” 

Iraqi authorities began a massive anti-graft crackdown in late June under the direction of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. The arrests began with a sweeping raid of Baghdad’s Green Zone, where much of the Iraqi government’s administrative nerve is concentrated, followed by numerous high-ranking Iraqi officials taken into custody. 

Within the past two weeks, former Labor and Social Affairs Minister Ahmed al-Asadi, former Salahaddin Governor Ahmed al-Jubouri, known as Abu Mazin, and electricity ministry undersecretary Khalid Ghazai Attiya have been arrested on corruption charges. 

Sayadi is a controversial former lawmaker from the State of Law Coalition of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He was beaten in parliament in 2015 after opposing voting protocol, and months later, he fired at a political opponent of his at a TV station in Baghdad. 

In 2014, Sayadi threatened to “crush the heads” of the Kurds after Kurdish and Sunni Arab lawmakers did not attend a session to provide confidence to another Maliki bid for premier, amid a lightning Islamic State (ISIS) offensive across swathes of Iraq. 

Other high-profile figures arrested during Zaidi’s anti-corruption crackdown were Sunni Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai, former Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil al-Mayahi, Oil Ministry Undersecretary Ali Ma’arij al-Bahadli, and Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie, a senior adviser to former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.