US Iraq watchdog agency under investigation

Washington: The US agency charged with investigating allegations of fraud by contractors in Iraq is also under investigation, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (Sigir) is being investigated over employee allegations of overspending and mismanagement, the Post said.

One of the most serious allegations under investigation is whether top Sigir officials accessed without authorization employee e-mail messages stored on computers maintained by the US Army, the Post said.

The agency's Inspector General, Stuart Bowen, told the newspaper "no current Sigir official has been notified that he or she is the subject or target of any such investigation."

Law enforcement sources and a congressional spokesman said probes were continuing, the newspaper reported.