Kuwait revokes citizenship of 2 linked to Iraq’s "Theft of the Century"

Shafaq News/ Kuwait has decided to revoke the citizenship of two individuals linked to the high-profile "Theft of the Century" case in Iraq, which involved the embezzlement of tax deposits.

Iraq had previously announced that the two individuals held dual nationality.

According to Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper, five decrees and two decisions were published in the official gazette, "Kuwait Today", on Sunday, stripping 63 people—55 women and 8 men—of their citizenship for various reasons. Two individuals were mentioned in connection with the "Theft of the Century" case in August.

"The first decree revoked the citizenship of 31 women based on Article 13, Paragraph 4, of the 1959 Kuwaiti Nationality Law, which allows for the withdrawal of citizenship if deemed necessary for the state's supreme interests or external security. The decree also permits revoking citizenship from dependents who obtained it through the person being stripped of nationality. The second decree similarly withdrew citizenship from 22 women under the same legal grounds."

"The third decree revoked citizenship from two men and their dependents under Article 13, Paragraph 1, of the nationality law, which allows for citizenship revocation if it was obtained through fraud or false statements. A fourth decree revoked the citizenship of one woman under similar grounds."

"The fifth decree removed the citizenship of one man and his dependents, citing reasons aligned with those in the first and second decrees (Article 13, Paragraph 4)," according to the newspaper.

Additionally, the Kuwaiti Cabinet issued two decisions. The first revoked the foundational citizenship of five men and their dependents under Article 21 bis (A) of the Nationality Law, which allows for revocation if citizenship was granted based on fraud, false statements, or invalid certificates. The second decision revoked the citizenship of one woman and her dependents for similar reasons.

The "Theft of the Century" refers to the disappearance of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $2.5 billion) from tax deposits. The scandal was uncovered shortly before the end of former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s government. Iraq’s Integrity Commission and judiciary have since launched investigations, issuing arrest warrants. One of the first to be arrested was businessman Noor Zuhair, who was released on bail but later fled the country. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to recover the stolen funds and uncover the full extent of the case.

This remains an open file within the Iraqi judiciary, with efforts to recover the embezzled money still ongoing.