Shafaq News- Baghdad
Two key suspects wanted in a major financial corruption case had fled to France with an estimated $500 million in smuggled funds, Iraq's Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad, said on Sunday.
Sanad noted that the official responsible for the "economic committee of the detained deputy minister," along with his brother, had left Iraq for France carrying the large sums, adding that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had ordered authorities to pursue the two through international legal channels to secure their extradition and recover the funds.
Separately, Al Arabiya, citing informed sources, identified the two brothers as Hassan Al-Kurdi and Mohammed Al-Kurdi, saying Iraqi authorities had issued international arrest warrants through INTERPOL over their alleged involvement in the refinery contracts case. According to the sources, the brothers were outside Iraq when another suspect, Adnan Al-Jumaili, was arrested. Hassan Al-Kurdi is alleged to have overseen commissions linked to refinery contracts and to have transferred millions of dollars abroad through an international financial network.
Last month, Iraq launched “Dawn Crackdown,” a nationwide anti-corruption campaign under Al-Zaidi's direction. The first phase is expected to target more than 200 current and former officials, politicians, business owners, and other suspects, while the second phase will focus on suspected corruption cases involving officials accused of owning luxury real estate projects abroad.
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