Shafaq News–BaghdadIraq’s Ministry ofFinance reopened an investigation into alleged manipulation in the sale of USdollars to travelers at the state-owned Rafidain Bank outlet at BaghdadInternational Airport, a source revealed on Saturday.The source toldShafaq News that Rafidain Bank, acting on directives from the Ministry ofFinance, summoned 20 officials and employees for questioning, and it scheduledinterrogation sessions for January 15 and January 22.Documents issued by the bank show that based on anofficial letter from the Ministry of Finance’s Compensation Committee forRafidain Bank, numbered 629 and dated February 18, 2025, formal invitationswere sent to the accused to appear before the bank’s compensation committee torecord their statements regarding the violations attributed to them.In July 2023, Iraq’sFinance Minister Taif Sami had ordered the suspension of Rafidain Bank DirectorAli Hussein and more than 20 officials and employees over suspicions ofmanipulation in dollar sales at the bank’s outlet at
Baghdad InternationalAirport. The minister later lifted the suspensions. Hussein was reinstated asdirector after about 40 days, while other implicated employees were temporarilytransferred to departments within the Ministry of Finance before returning totheir posts.Earlier this week,a source revealed that the Iraqi parliament Iraq’s parliament will summonCentral Bank (CBI) Governor Ali al-Allaq next week to discuss the rising USdollar exchange rate and a liquidity crisis, adding that the session will alsoinclude senior officials from state-owned lenders Rafidain and Rasheed banks. Amongthe issues to be examined are allegations that Rafidain Bank granted specialapprovals for large loans and advances based on favoritism, as well as reportedmajor administrative violations within the bank.