Baghdad-INA
Legal adviser judge Munir Haddad has disclosed new details about the government's ongoing anti-corruption campaign, saying that the total value of funds looted from Iraq since 2003 exceeds $2 trillion.
Haddad told Al-Iraqiya News, followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that investigations into the detained suspects were ongoing, adding that there were no final figures for the number of arrests as the total continued to rise through daily security operations and raids.
He said the main suspects currently in custody had provided detailed confessions that enabled security and judicial authorities to identify and apprehend additional suspects. Some of those wanted had attempted to flee Iraq or seek refuge in Kurdistan Region, which has cooperated with the authorities and handed over eight suspects so far.
He noted that the list of suspects includes senior officials, among them current and former government officials as well as MPs.
The cases under investigation are not limited to conventional embezzlement, he said, but also include allegations of unexplained wealth, which are subject to the legal principle of "where did you get this?" and are classified under Iraqi law as money laundering crimes.
The prime minister's legal adviser described the sums seized from deputy ministers and other senior officials as "beyond comprehension," citing one case in which the wife of a suspect purchased a property worth $5 million.
He added that authorities had also identified officials who owned more than 50 properties each, either registered in their own names or in the names of family members.
Haddad said Iraqi laws protecting public funds require not only the prosecution of those accused of corruption but also the accountability of the individuals and entities responsible for appointing them to sensitive positions.
He questioned how "ordinary employees or engineers" had suddenly risen to the rank of deputy minister without the qualifications for such posts, saying the appointments had been made solely to facilitate the theft of public funds.
He stressed that all recovered funds and seized properties would be returned in full to the Iraqi state treasury.
Haddad also expressed "complete confidence" in Prime Minister’s commitment to the anti-corruption campaign, describing him as "a reformer against corruption" and "a capable and successful young leader."
He added that there was no international pressure hindering the campaign and, on the contrary, that Iraq enjoyed strong international support for its anti-corruption efforts.
On the scope of the campaign, Haddad disclosed details of operations targeting additional corruption networks in the provinces, citing the case of Basra's electricity directorate, where more than 28 individuals had been arrested.
He said the campaign would also extend to government departments in Nasiriyah, Amarah and other provinces "without exception or red lines," adding that no deadline had been set for concluding the operation.
He said the investigations and raids were being conducted under strict secrecy to prevent suspects from fleeing, adding that the prime minister had taken a firm stance and rejected pressure and objections from political parties that feared they could be implicated through the suspects' confessions.
Haddad said the campaign would inevitably culminate in public trials and open court hearings broadcast to the public, similar to the proceedings held for the deposed Saddam Hussein and senior members of his former regime.
Haddad stressed that convicted individuals could not be released, saying that "the proper place for a convicted person is prison."
He added that even if a defendant were granted bail, it would not signify innocence, as they would still face trial and would not evade justice. He noted that conditional release on bail requires the payment of an amount equivalent to the funds allegedly stolen.
He also praised "the judges of the Integrity Courts," describing them as "brave, impartial and resolute judges who fear no reproach in upholding the truth."