Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq signed a cooperation agreement on Monday to accelerate the recovery of stolen public funds and the handover of fugitives wanted in major corruption cases.
The deal was concluded in Baghdad between the Federal Integrity Commission and the Soufan Group - a global intelligence and security consultancy - with both sides committing to deeper coordination on tracking financial networks, recovering assets abroad, and building direct channels with foreign law-enforcement bodies, including Interpol.
During his meeting with Ali Soufan, director of the Soufan Group, Federal Integrity Commission chief Muhammad Ali al-Lami stated that the agreement is designed to strengthen Iraq’s ability to pursue high-profile corruption cases that span multiple jurisdictions. He noted that Iraqi authorities, working with executive and judicial bodies, have already secured the return of 51 wanted individuals from overseas.
The partnership covers specialized training for Iraqi investigators in digital forensics, modern financial-tracking tools, and artificial intelligence systems used to detect forged documents. It also includes support for advanced interviewing and behavioral-analysis techniques to bolster complex investigations.
Al-Lami stressed that developing technical capacity is essential for following money flows across traditional and digital banking systems and for ensuring Iraqi teams can match the sophistication of transnational corruption networks.
Read more: Corruption scandals, "Theft of the Century" push Iraq’s political crisis to the brink
The Soufan Group is founded and led by former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan, known for his counterterrorism work after 9/11. The firm operates across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, providing governments and major institutions with expertise in intelligence analysis, financial-crime tracking, cyber investigations, and high-risk security planning.