The allegations of corruption were raised in parliament on August 1 by Iraqi Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi.
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However, Obeidi revealed, during a closed parliament session, details of blackmail by politicians and officials, including the speaker Salim al-Jubouri and other lawmakers, relating to weapons contracts and graft.
The Iraqi judiciary banned Thursday the parliament speaker and six lawmakers from travelling overseas over allegations of corruption revealed by the defense minister earlier in the week, a judicial official said.
Abadi ordered a “temporary travel ban” against those accused, in order “to investigate the validity of the allegations”, a statement from his office said.
The scandal comes at a critical time for Iraq as its armed forces gear up to recapture the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).
And Obeidi said that a businessman had asked him in Juburi’s presence to replace the head of the air force because he was “not cooperating with us”.
Four other people were also barred from travel, including a former member of parliament, he said.
Another charged that Juburi and three lawmakers, including Nasayif, sought to blackmail the minister “for the goal of passing corrupt deals and contracts at the expense of Iraqi blood”.
Al-Obeidi accused the parliamentary speaker and several MPs of corruption during a Monday parliamentary session.
They all denied the accusations and called for an investigation.
“No one is above the law”, the statement said.
Corruption is widespread in Iraq’s government, from senior officials to low-level functionaries, and while Iraqis have repeatedly demonstrated for change in the past year, little in the way of real reform has taken place.
The accusations against Juburi and the lawmakers are just the latest problems in a tumultuous year for the Iraqi legislature.
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Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for an assault on Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014, but the final push to retake it is likely still months away.
