Iraqi security forces arrested a businessman on Monday accused of being involved in the “theft” of $ 2.5 billion in tax funds while trying to leave Iraq, according to a statement released by the Interior Ministry. .
Furthermore, the statement released by Interior Minister Othman Al-Ghanimi announced that “Noor Zuhair Jassim was arrested at Baghdad International Airport while trying to leave the country on a private plane”.
5 companies involved
An official letter issued by the Revenue Agency revealed that between September 2021 and August 2022, 2.5 billion dollars were withdrawn from the Rafidain State Bank, through 247 financial instruments, issued to five companies, which disbursed them directly in cash.
For its part, the Government Integrity Commission said Monday in a statement that the suspect is the “managing director of the (Al-Mabdioon) Company for Oil Services Ltd.”, and is “one of the accused in the case of the amount of the fiscal deposits deposited in the branches of the Rafidain Bank. “
arrest warrant
The judiciary had already heard the statements of some officials of the Revenue Agency on the matter, and had also issued arrest warrants against company owners accused of withdrawing funds.
Iraq ranks 157th (out of 180) in Transparency International’s “Perceptions of Corruption” index. In corruption cases, court proceedings often target officials in secondary positions.
My corruption is rampant in the body of Iraq
“Rampant corruption is a major cause of dysfunction in Iraq,” UN envoy to Iraq, Jenin Plasshart, said in early October. “Frankly, no leader can claim to be protected by him,” she added.
Interestingly, this issue, which came out to the media in mid-October, sparked widespread controversy in oil-rich Iraq, but suffers from chronic corruption.
