Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's anti-corruption campaign willtarget more than 200 officials, politicians, former and current deputyministers, and business owners during its initial 72-hour phase as part of asix-month operation, a well-informed source told Shafaq News on Sunday.
The source said the campaign beganbefore dawn under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi andwith judicial backing, focusing on cases of illicit enrichment and unexplainedwealth involving suspects accused of exploiting state resources for personalgain. It also targets brokers, intermediaries, and companies suspected ofserving as fronts to launder money on behalf of political and governmentfigures or facilitate the misuse of public funds.
Authorities are working to liftparliamentary immunity for suspects named in legal case files to enablejudicial proceedings, a step the source said could help recover substantialpublic funds during the campaign's first phase.
The campaignalso revives Iraq's long-stalled "Where Did You Get This?"initiative, a national anti-corruption effort first launched in 2023 thatscrutinizes whether officials' wealth matches their declared income. Accordingto the source, the file had been shelved under political pressure but wasreopened with judicial backing as Iraq's financial position worsened.
The source added that the campaignwould extend beyond Iraq's borders, with authorities preparing arrest warrantsand coordinating with Interpol to pursue suspects abroad and recover assets acquiredthrough the misuse of public funds and state institutions for personal gain.
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