Iraq recovers 375kg of gold in widening anti-corruption drive under Prime Minister al-Zaidi

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council announced the recovery of 375 kilograms of gold linked to the corruption case of former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili.

• The council said 358kg of gold was recovered in an operation with Kurdistan regional authorities, supervised by council president Faiq Zidan, and 17kg was seized in a separate investigation.
• Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi stated that the total funds tracked in al-Jumaili’s case exceed 127 billion Iraqi dinars ($96m) plus $24m, real estate, vehicles, and gold.
• Security forces have arrested dozens of officials, including current and former members of parliament, as part of the broader “Operation Dawn” anti-corruption campaign.
• The Integrity Commission has prepared draft memoranda of understanding with other countries to repatriate wanted suspects and smuggled assets, and circulated a red notice through Interpol.

Latest developments

• A court has sentenced 12 tax authority employees to prison for facilitating withdrawals in the "heist of the century" case involving Noor Zuhair.
• The court confiscated property in Iraq and Kuwait and recovered 365 billion Iraqi dinars ($278 million) from the defendants.
• The Supreme Judicial Council plans similar legal action in the Northern Refinery Company case and coordinates with the prime minister on a leniency roadmap.