Public funds stolen in Iraq since 2003 exceed $2 trillion

The legal adviser to the Iraqi Prime Minister announced that the funds stolen in the country since 2003 have exceeded $2 trillion, and that the corruption investigation includes current and former senior officials.

Scraper SystemJuly 02, 2026, 10:33 AM

Public funds stolen in Iraq since 2003 exceed $2 trillion

Munir Haddad, legal adviser to the Iraqi Prime Minister, stated that the magnitude of public resources stolen in the country since 2003 has exceeded $2 trillion. Speaking to the official Iraqi news agency, Haddad said the theft figures and the assets of the defendants 'defy reason and logic.'

Haddad noted that the interrogations of the growing number of detainees are ongoing. He said that details provided in the confessions of the main defendants have led security and judicial units to other wanted individuals who were attempting to flee abroad or seek refuge in the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government. Haddad stated that the Kurdish Regional Government has handed over eight defendants so far.

Senior officials on the list

Haddad stressed that the list of defendants includes current and former senior officials and members of parliament. He explained that the crimes under investigation are not limited to classic embezzlement; unusual increases in wealth are also legally treated as money laundering offenses.

Describing the seized assets of ministry undersecretaries and officials as 'unreadable and unbelievable,' Haddad pointed out that officials have been identified who each own more than 50 properties registered in their names or the names of family members. He added that the wife of one defendant purchased a property worth $5 million.

Scope of the operation expands

Haddad announced that more than 28 people have been detained at the Basra Electricity Department in southern Iraq, and that the operation will be expanded to departments in Nasiriyah, Amarah, and other provinces without any exceptions or red lines. He stressed that no time limit will be set for completing this fight.

Haddad stated that the trials will be public and the hearings will be broadcast live to citizens, underlining that convicted defendants cannot be released. He said that even in the case of conditional release on bail, the required amount must match the stolen sums.

Public funds stolen in Iraq since 2003 exceed $2 trillion