Warnings against corruption settlements in Iraq: Will the cases be closed with the return of the funds?
Warnings against corruption settlements in Iraq: Will the cases be closed with the return of the funds?
7-1-2026
Information/Baghdad…
Warnings have been issued against granting corrupt individuals and those who steal public funds the freedom to return to their homes again in exchange for handing over all the money they stole without any punishment or accountability, as this would be a gateway to greater corruption and would open the door to new thefts by many of the disciples of these thieves, especially in light of the stability they would enjoy and the reassurance regarding the measures taken against them. This is something that many political parties have warned against after the dawn campaign carried out by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi against some officials and deputies who were identified by the Deputy Minister of Oil, Adnan al-Jumaili, who is accused of corruption cases.
Former MP Mohammed al-Bayati told Al-Maalomah that “Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has moved towards implementing the court orders, especially since there is evidence and proof of corruption, and based on this, the judiciary issued its position.”
He added that “those arrested on corruption charges will be held accountable for the cases they are accused of, regardless of the position of previous governments and the reasons for not implementing such rulings in the past.”
He explained that “the issue of implementing arrest warrants is not related to any political party or other entity; rather, it is within the powers of the judiciary, which issues the arrest warrants, and it is the government’s duty to implement such rulings, especially since the constitution stipulates the separation of powers, and therefore the prime minister has no authority over the judiciary.”
He pointed out that “the arrest decision is a good one, especially in light of the existence of legal cases, as the prime minister’s move towards implementing judicial rulings should be done through a force capable of arresting individuals with security details. In the past, the police did not carry out such tasks because they would clash with the security details, and therefore the arrest warrants were executed by a larger force.”
For his part, Luqman Hassan, a member of the Kurdish Azadi Movement, told Al-Maalomah that “Al-Zaydi’s campaign is not a radical fight against corruption, nor does it represent the end of this issue. Combating corruption requires strict measures and a resolution from the Council of Representatives obligating the Council of Ministers to proceed with this matter in order to have greater legitimacy in the fight against corruption.”
He continued, “There is talk of exempting those who steal public funds from punishment if they return the stolen money, and this is a disaster. Corrupt individuals should be held accountable through the courts and made an example of for others, because exempting them from punishment will only encourage them to repeat their thefts.”
He added, “There is an urgent need to hold high-ranking officials accountable for these thefts and not be satisfied with holding low-level officials affiliated with political parties accountable, because these thieves could not have touched public funds without political cover and protection from some parties and high-ranking officials.”
In a related development, former MP Yasser al-Husseini explained to Al-Maalomah that “the politically and judicially agreed-upon decision is that there are no red lines or immunity for any official, regardless of their residence, whether inside or outside the region, if their involvement is proven or their name appears in the investigations.”
He stated that “the judiciary currently has major and significant cases before it, far larger and more serious than the al-Jumaili corruption case,” indicating that “the Integrity Committee submitted eight serious cases to the judiciary during the previous session, some of which have been completed and are now ready for immediate investigation according to a specific timetable determined exclusively by the judiciary.”
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