Some 113 billion dinars in public funds set aside to help young Iraqis get married have gone missing. Former MP Amir Al-Maamouri, citing a 2019 report by the Federal Supreme Audit Board, suggested the money may have been smuggled abroad using fake marriage documents.
Al-Maamouri said, "According to the 2019 report, 113 billion dinars were distributed as marriage loans to young people," adding, "That amount could logically marry thousands of couples, yet the records show none of the expected brides, grooms, or paperwork."
Fake marriage scheme involving high dower payments
Legal expert Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sultani explained one method used for the suspicious transfers. In the scheme, an Iraqi citizen enters a marriage contract with a foreign national and stipulates an unusually high dower payment. The marriage is then dissolved, and the dower is transferred abroad through official banking channels.
Al-Sultani warned that the method is dangerous because the documents carry legal legitimacy and can mask capital flight. He urged parliament to close such legal loopholes.
The claims echo broader concerns that money laundering in Iraq is growing increasingly sophisticated. Experts note that luxury real estate, high-end residential projects, hospitality investments, digital finance activities, and social-media-linked dealings can obscure suspicious money flows.
The marriage loan controversy has moved beyond the question of missing funds, turning into a test of Iraq’s ability to oversee public spending, detect financial crimes, and stop its legal systems from being exploited for illicit transfers.
For now, the allegations are strengthening calls for deeper investigation, clearer accountability, and legal reform to protect public money.
