Ex-Iraqi Oil Ministry official's corruption case implicates MPs
Shafaq News- Baghdad
The investigation into former Oil Ministry Undersecretary Adnan al-Jumaili uncovered the involvement of several Iraqi lawmakers in exploiting state resources and benefiting from government contracts, an Iraqi investigative judge said on Sunday.
In a statement, Diaa Jaafar of Iraq's Central Criminal Court for Combating Corruption explained that the case began in October 2025 after the court received reports alleging that several election candidates had spent large sums on campaign activities using state resources with the backing of influential figures in the previous government.
Months of evidence gathering culminated in the exposure of lawmakers who, according to Jaafar, used public resources for electoral campaigning and obtained commissions and personal benefits, directly or through intermediaries, from government contracts.
The court subsequently requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity for the accused lawmakers, which Parliament's speaker approved under the applicable legal authorities. In coordination with the Federal Integrity Commission and law enforcement agencies, arrest warrants were executed, several suspects were detained, and funds and evidence linked to the case were seized, while others remain at large.
The investigation is continuing, and legal measures will be taken against additional political figures and other individuals.
Earlier today, Iraqi security forces detained 47 officials, lawmakers, and businessmen across Baghdad and several provinces in one of the country's largest anti-corruption operations in years, according to security and judicial sources. The operation followed al-Jumaili's arrest, while judicial authorities said ongoing efforts to trace proceeds generated through waste and irregularities in projects linked to the case had increased the value of seized assets to 31 billion Iraqi dinars (about $23.7M) and $10 million.
Read more: Iraq detains 47 officials in anti-corruption sweep: What we know so far
