Exclusive: Iraqi businessman Noor Zuhair leaves Lebanon for UAE amid accident reports

Shafaq News/ Iraqi businessman Noor Zuhair, who is suspected of involvement in Iraq's high-profile "Theft of the Century" case, left Lebanon on Friday after a brief stay of three days, a Lebanese security source told Shafaq News Agency.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Zuhair’s departure to the United Arab Emirates but did not comment on reports suggesting he was involved in a car accident while in Lebanon.

Reports from Lebanese media on Friday claimed that Zuhair was involved in a serious car crash in the Hadath area in the Baabda District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, and was subsequently hospitalized. However, sources at Saint Therese Hospital, where he supposed to be transported to, declined to confirm or deny whether Zuhair had been admitted, citing medical confidentiality.

The Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense also stated that they had no records of an individual named Noor Zuhair or any incident involving him being transported to a hospital in the capital.

Who Is Noor Zuhair?

Noor Zuhair Jassem Al-Muthaffar, also known as Abu Fatima, was born in Baghdad in 1980 and previously worked in Iraqi ports before serving as an advisor in the office of the former chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee. Reports indicate that Zuhair owns over 20 luxury properties in Baghdad and holds significant financial assets and businesses.

Zuhair is a central figure in Iraq’s “Theft of the Century,” a massive corruption scandal involving the disappearance of approximately $2.5 billion from tax deposits. This scandal, which took place between September 2021 and August 2022, involved fraudulent cheques issued by the Iraqi General Commission of Taxes (IGCT) and cashed at branches of the state-owned Rafidain Bank.

A prominent businessman and the managing director of Al-Mubdeoon Oil Services Company, Zuhair was the first to be arrested on October 24, 2022, while attempting to flee the country via a private jet from Baghdad International Airport. He has been accused of playing a key role in the scheme.

Zuhair was scheduled to appear before the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad on August 27 for his trial. In a recent television interview, he defended himself, calling for a public trial and threatening to reveal names and details related to corruption cases.

In an interview with Al Sharqiya TV's "Al-Muwajaha" program, Zuhair insisted, "The funds I possessed were backed by checks and transactions audited by the Integrity Commission; they are not state funds. Not a single dinar belongs to the state." He described the alleged theft of tax funds as a "fabrication" and claimed that a member of parliament, who is now speaking out against him, once requested a house in Baghdad's upscale Al-Mansour district with a plot size of 1,200 square meters.

Zuhair emphasized that if he is put on trial, particularly in an open court, he will reveal all the names involved in the case.