Iraqi adviser: Looted funds since 2003 have exceeded two trillion dollars
An Iraqi official revealed that the volume of money looted from Iraq since 2003 until now exceeds the barrier of $2 trillion.
Adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, Munir Haddad, told Iraqi state television that the figures of thefts and properties of the defendants were "beyond the level of reason and logic", while noting that the courts of those accused of corruption "will be public".
"Investigations with the arrested defendants are ongoing, and there are no final statistics on the number of those arrested, as they continue to increase, based on continuous daily operations and raids," Haddad said.
"The current main defendants made detailed confessions that led the security and judicial agencies to bring in other defendants, as some of the wanted persons tried to escape and escape from Iraq or take refuge in the Kurdistan region, which has cooperated and handed over eight defendants so far," he added.
Money laundering crimes in Iraq
"The list of defendants includes corrupt senior officials, including current and former officials and deputies, and that the crimes in question are not limited to traditional embezzlement, but also include cases of abnormal inflation of financial wealth, which are directly subject to the principle of 'where do you get this from' and are legally classified as money laundering crimes," the Iraqi official said.
The Iraqi official pointed out that the seized figures in the possession of undersecretaries and officials "are unreadable and unbelievable, to the extent that the wife of one of the defendants bought a property worth $5 million, which is enough to build the largest villa in Paris or Amsterdam," as well as the arrest of officials who each own more than 50 properties registered in his name or in his family names.
Haddad: International support for the fight against corruption
"Iraqi laws related to the protection of public funds oblige to hold accountable and prosecute the perpetrator and the parties behind the appointment of these corrupt people or their placement in their sensitive positions," Haddad said, wondering "how simple employees or engineers suddenly jumped into the position of deputy minister without the competence that qualifies them to do so, except for the motive of covering up thefts."
He also claimed that "all recovered funds and seized properties will be returned in full to the Iraqi state treasury," expressing his "absolute confidence in the seriousness of the prime minister and describing him as a rebel against corruption and a successful and capable young man."
"There is no international pressure to hinder the campaign, on the contrary, there is very strong international support for the fight against corruption in Iraq.
Arrests of more than 67 prominent figures
The anti-corruption campaign led by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi under the name of "Dawn Prayer" has extended to include between 50 and 67 first-tier political, parliamentary and executive figures, in an unprecedented scene that is redrawing the Iraqi political map.
The arrests followed a series of wide-ranging investigations that relied on the confessions of former oil undersecretary Adnan al-Jumaili, opening the door to one of the most extensive anti-corruption operations in the country's history.
The arrests included current heads of blocs and deputies such as Muthanna al-Samarrai, Alia Nassif, whose home was confiscated about $74 million, quantities of gold and weapons, Ziad al-Janabi, Mohammed al-Karbouli, who was granted immunity before his arrest, along with other deputies from various blocs.
The campaign included former deputies, governors and advisors, including Mohammed Al-Sayouhud and Bushra Al-Qaisi, former Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil Al-Mayahi, in addition to advisors Ibrahim Al-Sumaidai and Sami Al-Sudani.