UN to investigate claims of corruption in Iraq aid project

Guardian report found staff allegedly sought bribes in return for helping people win deals as part of $1.5bn construction programme

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is dispatching a team to Iraq to assess allegations of corruption in its $1.5bn (1.2bn) construction programme following a Guardian investigation.

According to an internal document obtained by the Guardian, the UNDP's administrator, Achim Steiner, has commissioned a management review and assessment of the allegations" after revelations its staff were allegedly taking kickbacks in return for helping business people obtain lucrative construction contracts.