MP and member of the Integrity Committee, Alia Nassif, has unveiled a corruption scandal concerning cancer treatment drugs marketed in Iraqi markets. Nassif stated that these medications, promoted as “locally made,” are in reality imports originating from Iran and India, where they undergo repacking and relabeling processes within Iraqi factories, ultimately appearing to consumers as products of pure Iraqi origin.
Nassif’s accusations were not limited to the origin of the drugs but extended to the entities benefiting from this manipulation. She clarified that all companies involved in the production of cancer drugs in Iraq are under the control of the political officials’ families. More alarmingly, the MP pointed to the deteriorating health of some patients who received doses of these “local” drugs, with some cases showing negative progression from “stage two” to “stage three” of cancer, which, in her opinion, reflects the weak therapeutic efficacy of these drugs.
These statements come after a notable announcement by the Iraqi Embassy in Tripoli on April 27th, regarding the export of the first shipment of cancer treatment drugs, claimed to be “entirely manufactured within Iraq,” to Libya. The Chargé d’Affaires at the embassy, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, affirmed via his “X” platform account that this step received direct sponsorship from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani and the supervision of Health Minister Saleh Al-Hassnawi, emphasizing that the drugs were produced locally according to “the latest international standards for the pharmaceutical industry,” describing the shipment as a “national achievement reflecting Iraq’s ability to support Arab brethren with high-quality pharmaceutical products.”
Conversely, this shipment sparked widespread debate in Libyan circles, especially after statements by the suspended Minister of Health Ramadan Abu Janah, who explained that the import process came in response to direct requests from oncology hospitals, asserting that the supplying company is registered with the Pharmacy Administration, and the contract with it was concluded in accordance with the approved legal procedures, starting from the Pharmacy Administration, passing through the Medical Supply Agency, and reaching the Tenders Committee.
However, the Libyan National Cancer Control Center, through its Director of the International Cooperation Department, Abdel Moneim Al-Barassi, denied any connection to the import of those drugs, which increased the ambiguity and complexity of this issue.
Furthermore, the head of the Libyan National Cancer Control Center, Haider Al-Sayeh, affirmed during a press conference that the center categorically refuses to import drugs from any Arab or Asian source, emphasizing that the drugs intended for cancer treatment are secured only from major and accredited international companies, out of concern for the quality of treatment and patient safety.
Consequently, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dabaiba, issued Decree No. (185) of 2025, relieving Ramadan Abu Janah of his duties as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, and referring him for investigation, along with a number of ministry officials, due to violations in the drug import procedures, which took place outside the jurisdiction of the National Cancer Control Center. The decree clarified that the import process was carried out in violation of the provisions of Council of Ministers Resolution No. (963) of 2022, concerning the regulation of the jurisdictions of the authorities responsible for the drug file.
