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Kadhimi Slams Arrest Warrants against Ex-Govt Officials in Iraq’s ‘Heist of the Century’

Then Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 23, 2021. (AP)
Then Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 23, 2021. (AP)
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Kadhimi Slams Arrest Warrants against Ex-Govt Officials in Iraq’s ‘Heist of the Century’

Then Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 23, 2021. (AP)
Then Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 23, 2021. (AP)

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi criticized on Saturday the arrest warrants issued against a former minister who served in his government.

The Commission of integrity had issued the warrants against four senior officials in Kadhimi’s former government, including his finance minister, for their alleged facilitation of the theft of $2.5 billion in public funds, known in the country as the "heist of the century."

The three other men are staff members in the former government.

The four men are accused of "facilitating the embezzlement of sums belonging to the tax authorities," the Commission of integrity said, adding that they would also be subject to an asset freeze.

Kadhimi slammed the warrants, saying they were "selective" and aimed at diverting attention from the investigations.

"They are repeated attempts to cover up the real criminals," he declared in a statement.

The warrants do not name any of the officials, but according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity, they are former finance minister Ali Allawi, the director of cabinet Raed Jouhi, personal secretary Ahmed Najati, and adviser Mushrik Abbas.

Kadhimi defended the former officials, stating they have "fully performed their duties according to the law."

They are not connected to the tax file, "which is evidence that the issuing of the warrants is politically motivated," he went on to say.

The warrants are aimed at targeting political rivals for the purpose of creating media and political uproar instead of actually pursuing the real culprits, he charged

"How can those who exposed the theft be held responsible and those who actually committed it be rewarded?" he wondered.

Moreover, Kadhimi said the arrests were issued by sides that are connected to political parties, and therefore, are not independent.

It is evident that this is part of a plot to target and settle scores with anyone connected to the former government, he added.

Furthermore, he stressed that his government had since its appointment in 2020 demanded audits of taxes. The ensuing probe led to the arrest of suspects, who were referred to the judiciary.

The details of the probe were "transparently and courageously" released to the public, he said.

He demanded that the "honest Iraqi judiciary" carry out its duties with the support of a transparent and just international investigation that would expose the real culprits and put an end to political acts of vengeance.

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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).

The Syrian Military Operations Administration has been pressing its security campaigns aimed at disarming former regime militia remnants and combating drug traffickers across Syria.

On Tuesday, for the third time, the administration, in collaboration with the General Security Directorate, launched a large-scale operation in western rural Homs. The campaign focused on the villages of Jabbourin Rafain, Al-Haysa, Jabbourin, Qaniyat Al-Assi, Tasnin, Kafrnan, Akrad Al-Dasniya, and their surroundings. Simultaneous campaigns were conducted in Aleppo’s Nairab district, Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, and northern Daraa.

Security sources said the operation in rural Homs targets “remnants of Assad militias who refused to surrender their weapons, arms depots, drug dealers, and traffickers,” according to an official statement from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Military reinforcements were dispatched to support the campaign in the targeted areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the operation in the village of Jabbourin in rural Hama marked the second such operation within a week. The observatory noted that several civilians and military personnel, including those who had reconciled with the government, were arrested. Some detainees were later released, while others remain under investigation.

Residents in rural Homs expressed significant concern about the proliferation of weapons, incidents of abductions, and the escalating fear of retribution. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, they noted a prevailing sense of unease and insecurity, as anonymous actors exploit the current chaos to fuel tensions and instability.

The General Security Directorate in Homs has urged residents in western rural Homs villages and towns to fully cooperate with its forces and the Military Operations Administration to ensure the success of the campaign’s objectives.

In Daraa, southern Syria, the Daraa 24 network reported that the General Security Directorate carried out a raid in the city of Izraa, north of Daraa. During the operation, large quantities of weapons were seized, and warnings were issued to individuals still in possession of firearms to surrender them “to preserve the region’s security and stability.”

An earlier security operation in the Lajat region, located between the Suwayda and Daraa governorates, resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals described as former regime remnants, drug traffickers, and arms dealers. The Syrian Interior Ministry also announced the arrest of “remnant elements and members of a gang involved in the theft of weapons from a warehouse in the Mazraa project area of Damascus.”

Meanwhile, the General Security Directorate released several former regime elements in Damascus after verifying their lack of involvement in violations against the Syrian people. According to local sources cited by Syrian Television, several conscripts detained in Adra Prison in Damascus were freed on Tuesday, with additional releases expected in the coming days.

Last week, the General Security Directorate released 360 detainees, including former regime officers, out of approximately 800 people arrested as part of the Homs security campaign. Following investigations, the authorities confirmed that those individuals were not in possession of weapons and had pledged not to engage in activities against the new Syrian administration.