Iraq asks the US and the UK to extradite former officials in a $2.5 billion corruption scandal

On Sunday, Iraq demanded that the United States and Britain extradite former officials who were suspected of helping to steal $2.5 billion in taxpayer money in one of the largest-ever corruption cases to occur in the nation.

Beginning in March, the court of Iraq issued arrest warrants for four persons, including a former finance minister and employees of a former prime minister named Mustafa al-Kadhemi, who according to Baghdad all reside abroad.

Without mentioning the whereabouts of the accused, Haider Hanoun, the president of the Iraqi Commission for Integrity, urged “competent authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom to cooperate in executing the arrest warrants issued against them” on Sunday.

In a statement, he claimed that Interpol had issued Red Notices against Kadhemi’s personal secretary Ahmed Najati and cabinet director Raed Jouhi, both of whom are nationals of the United States.

Former finance minister Ali Allawi, “who holds British citizenship,” has received another Red Notice, Hanoun said.

An Interpol Red Notice requests that individuals be detained temporarily awaiting potential extradition or other legal processes, but it is not a global arrest demand.

Hanoun said that the fourth suspect, Mushrik Abbas, the former premier’s communications advisor, “currently resides in the United Arab Emirates,” adding that he was unsure of Abbas’ other nationality.

“We hope that they (London and Washington) will cooperate and extradite the suspects,” the official added.

Respected professor and politician Allawi announced his resignation in August of last year. A few months later, when word of the incident spread, he denied any involvement.

In Iraq, an oil-rich but corrupt country, the case—dubbed “the heist of the century”—sparked uproar.

Through 247 checks that were cashed by five firms between September 2021 and August 2022, at least $2.5 billion was stolen.

The funds were subsequently taken out of the accounts of these businesses, the majority of whose owners are on the run.

In the past, Kadhemi has defended his performance in the battle against corruption by asserting that his administration had learned of the matter, opened an inquiry, and taken legal action.

“Facilitating the embezzlement of amounts belonging to the tax authorities” is the charge leveled against the four individuals.

Since taking office in late October, the nation’s current prime minister, Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, has committed to eradicate corruption.