Iraqi court postpones "Theft of the Century" trial as key suspect fails to appear

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Member of Parliament Mustafa Sanad announced on Wednesday that the trial of the primary suspect in the high-profile tax deposit case, known as the "Theft of the Century," has been postponed until the end of August.

Sanad posted on his Facebook account that the trial has been rescheduled to August 27 due to the absence of the accused, Nour Zuhair, from the court.

In 2023, the Iraqi judiciary lifted a seizure order on a company owned by Zuhair, who is at the center of one of Iraq's largest corruption scandals. The "Theft of the Century" refers to the embezzlement of funds from tax security deposits, a crime that was uncovered just months before the previous government, led by Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, left office.

The revelation of the theft, a massive fraud involving the disappearance of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $2.5 billion) from tax deposits, led to a swift response from Iraq's Integrity Commission and judiciary, resulting in the arrest of several individuals, including Zuhair, a prominent businessman. Authorities have also issued orders to confiscate the assets of those involved, extending to their families.

Despite these actions, the case remains unresolved, with ongoing investigations to trace all the stolen funds, some of which are believed to have been smuggled out of Iraq.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani stated early last year that Zuhair, the primary suspect, had distributed portions of the stolen funds to influential figures, including politicians and media personalities, suggesting the total amount stolen could be even higher than initially reported.