ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq has seized over $125 million and 380 kilograms of gold and jewelry hidden in various places in the corruption case involving Adnan al-Jumaili, the detained oil ministry undersecretary for refining affairs, state media reported Monday.
The seizures came as part of the large-scale anti-corruption campaign launched by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government in late June, when security forces entered Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone and arrested scores of senior officials and lawmakers over alleged corruption and theft of public funds.
On Monday, Iraqi state media said $114.7 million in Iraqi dinars, another $11 million, 380 kilograms of gold and other jewelry, 70 properties, and 21 modern vehicles have been confiscated during the campaign so far, adding that they were hidden in walls, underground caches, and farms and orchards, including sites and caches in the Kurdistan Region.
Iraq has also worked with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the campaign. On July 13, the judiciary said it had confiscated 375 kilograms of gold in coordination with Kurdish authorities.
A day earlier, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced the seizure of an additional 27 billion Iraqi dinars (around $20.6 million).
On Wednesday, the judiciary announced the recovery of another 1.14 billion Iraqi dinars (around $870,000) in a separate financial fraud case. It also said investigations had led to the seizure of another 13 billion Iraqi dinars, 40 gold bars, and five kilograms of gold jewelry hidden in several locations in Salahaddin province.
Earlier in the month, the judiciary released photos showing 14 billion Iraqi dinars (about $10.7 million) recovered from underground drainage pipes allegedly connected to the investigation.
The Iraqi government has officially confirmed that at least 21 people were detained during the sweeping anti-corruption campaign - dubbed Operation Dawn - on corruption charges. Iraqi state media had initially reported that 47 people were arrested.
The arrests followed “confessions given” by Jumaili, who was arrested in May over an alleged embezzlement scheme.
Zaidi's anti-corruption campaign has drawn broad support from the Iraqi public, as well as from numerous politicians and officials across the country.