Iraqi authorities announced Monday the seizure of an additional 25 billion Iraqi dinars, $1 million in cash, and about five kilograms of gold in the corruption case involving detained Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Adnan Al-Jumaili and other suspects linked to the investigation.
Diaa Jaafar, the investigating judge at Iraq’s Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court, said in a statement that total assets seized so far have risen to 127 billion Iraqi dinars and $24 million, in addition to real estate, vehicles, and gold jewelry confiscated during the investigation.
He said inquiries and efforts to track down other suspects were continuing until all legal procedures are completed.
Sources at Iraq’s Integrity Commission told Asharq Al-Awsat that the total value of assets seized from Al-Jumaili so far — including cash and 70 properties — exceeds 250 billion Iraqi dinars (about $191 million).
The Interior Ministry also announced Monday the arrest of another suspect connected to Al-Jumaili’s alleged corruption network in Salahuddin province. According to the ministry, intelligence officers seized more than $3 million, over 750 million Iraqi dinars, a cache of light weapons, modern vehicles, and government contracts from the suspect’s residence.
Iraqi authorities last week arrested 15 people, including lawmakers, heads of political blocs, and former governors, on corruption charges based on confessions allegedly made by Al-Jumaili. Security sources said the latest detainee serves as contracts director at the Baiji Refinery, where authorities discovered the cash during a raid on his home.
Despite broad public support for the government’s anti-corruption campaign, skepticism remains over whether Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s administration will sustain the drive rather than limiting it to a single wave of arrests. Public doubts have been fueled by Al-Zaidi’s earlier remarks suggesting the possibility of settlements under which suspects could regain their freedom after returning embezzled public funds.
Sources familiar with deliberations inside the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework told Asharq Al-Awsat that some coalition leaders have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the recent crackdown, with some urging the prime minister to halt the campaign for fear that arrests could reach figures affiliated with their factions. Although most Framework parties have publicly endorsed the anti-corruption drive, the sources said their private positions differ from their public statements.
Ghalib Al-Daami of the Iraqi Academy for Combating Corruption said investigations were proceeding on parallel domestic and international tracks, targeting suspects inside Iraq as well as fugitives abroad. He added that authorities are preparing action against businessmen accused of defaulting on billions of dollars in loans from Iraqi banks.
Al-Daami ruled out the prospect of releasing current detainees through financial settlements and said judicial and oversight authorities are pursuing 954 cases involving the recovery of assets smuggled abroad, in addition to 262 legal requests related to recovering funds transferred overseas by imprisoned corruption suspects.
