Corruption scandals, "Theft of the Century" push Iraq’s political crisis to the brink
Shafaq News/Observers say the recent wave of corruption scandals in Iraq—spanningfinancial, political, and administrative sectors—reflects the country’sworsening political crisis.
Thesituation escalated after the controversial remarks by Judge Haider Hanoun,head of Iraq’s Integrity Commission, about ongoing corruption “Theft of theCentury,” which involved the massive theft of $2.5 billion from the country’stax coffers.
RecurringScandals
IraqiCommission of Integrity head, Haider Hanoun, accused Judge Diaa Jaafar ofshielding individuals involved in the "Theft of the Century," duringa press conference in Erbil on Wednesday.
Hanounalleged that Judge Jaafar, who oversees the Integrity Court in Baghdad’s Karkhdistrict, has been shielding suspects involved in the case.
Hanounclaimed that Jaafar received a plot of land under the pretense of beingmilitary personnel, asserting that former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafaal-Kadhimi distributed such plots to secure political loyalties.
"Anestimated $18 billion was squandered in the railway case, where Iraq’s entirerailway infrastructure was sold off," Hanoun said.
Hecriticized Jaafar for not reviewing the case for two months, stating,"There are those who want to return Iraq to the era of horse-drawn carts."
Someobservers said that Hanoun is defending himself after facing legal action foracquiring land in the Maysan governorate. In doing so, he exposed large-scalecorruption, including a $22 billion railroad project in the Al-Faw peninsulathat was covered up after being handed to a judge.
FollowingHanoun’s press conference, less than a week after Hanoun’s conference, an Iraqicourt ordered the detention of six guarantors linked to the main suspects inthe "Theft of the Century" and scheduled a new trial date for theaccused Noor Zuhair and Haitham al-Jubouri.
In a notabledevelopment earlier in 2023, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudanirevealed...” to establish a clearer chronological connection.
Hanoun’scomments were followed by the uncovering of a spy network in the primeminister’s office, along with other scandals, which some believe are attemptsto distract the public from more serious issues.
GhaziFaisal, director of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies, said these remarksreveal a growing power struggle among key political figures, all seeking toexpand their control and wealth.
Faisal toldShafaq News Agency that “the repeated corruption scandals—such as businessmanNoor Zuhair’s escape with billions, which was dubbed the Theft of the Century,and his use of private jets and diplomatic passports—show that this issue goesbeyond Zuhair himself. It involves key figures in ministries, politicalparties, and parliament. Zuhair had admitted to bribing political leaders.”
It isnoteworthy that in a recent television interview, Zuhair defended himself,calling for a public trial and threatening to reveal names and details relatedto corruption cases.
Faisal addedthat the recent spy network scandal in the prime minister’s office reveals adeep mistrust between the government, security forces, parliament, andpolitical leaders.
Faisalbelieved these scandals were the result of political groups that have dominatedIraq since 2003. He said “They have failed to create a democratic system thatensures human rights and a decent life, while problems like poverty andinstability persist.”
IndependentMP Bassem Khashan also commented, saying Zuhair, who was in custody, waswrongly released and is now out of Iraq. Whether he returns is up to him.
Khashanadded that 80 MPs have signed a petition to summon Judge Hanoun to clarify hisrecent alarming statements.
PoliticalTensions
Saadal-Muttalibi, a member of the State of Law coalition, said the political crisisin Iraq is fueled by personal disputes between factions, with some using themedia to attack their opponents.
“The head ofthe Integrity Commission’s public criticism of the judiciary is reckless,” hetold Shafaq News Agency.
“Accusationsshould be settled in court, not through media, and this seems like a personalconflict,” added al-Muttalibi, describing the political situation as “tense.”
He notedthat new scandals arise every few days, possibly as distractions from otherissues.
IndependentMP Amir al-Mamouri added that some parties want to close the Zuhair case afterrecent comments from the Integrity Commission. He emphasized the importance ofrecovering stolen public funds and holding all involved accountable.
“Zuhair'scase is being monitored by parliament, regardless of the Integrity Commission’sstatements,” al-Mamouri told Shafaq News Agency.
“But thelatest remarks suggest the problem isn't over, and there are others like Zuhairstill at large,” he added.
Al-Mamourialso confirmed that parliament is preparing to summon the head of the IntegrityCommission and judges linked to the scandal for questioning.
“Signatureshave been collected, and we're waiting for a date,” he said.
