ALBAWABA — More than $2 trillion has been stolen from Iraq since 2003, according to Iraqi legal adviser and judge Munir Haddad, who said the scale of corruption uncovered by ongoing investigations exceeds anything previously imagined.
Haddad said security and judicial authorities continue to arrest new suspects as investigations expand, with daily raids uncovering additional evidence. He noted that detailed confessions from key detainees have led investigators to other alleged members of the corruption network.
According to Haddad, the list of suspects includes current and former senior government officials, lawmakers and high-ranking public servants. The cases involve not only embezzlement but also unexplained wealth and suspected money laundering, with investigators applying Iraq's "Where Did You Get This?" law to examine assets that cannot be legally justified.
He claimed authorities had uncovered extraordinary personal fortunes during the investigations, including officials who allegedly own dozens of properties and luxury real estate worth millions of dollars, describing the figures as "beyond reason and imagination."
Haddad added that several suspects attempted to flee the country or hide in the Kurdistan Region, while regional authorities have cooperated with Baghdad by handing over multiple wanted individuals.
The anti-corruption campaign is expected to expand across Iraq, targeting government institutions in several provinces without exception. Haddad said the investigations will ultimately lead to public trials, stressing that political pressure will not prevent prosecutions and that anyone found guilty will face imprisonment regardless of their current or former position.
