Iraq seizes 375kg of gold in sweeping anti-corruption crackdown

A massive haul of gold recently uncovered has been linked to a high-profile corruption" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="164466" data-entity-type="topic">anti-corruption case in Iraq.Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council has announced the recovery of 375kg of gold connected to a case involving the arrest last month of the former Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs, Adnan Al Jumaili, on suspicion of corruption.Judge Dhia Jafar of the corruption" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="164466" data-entity-type="topic">anti-corruption-criminal-court" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="164462" data-entity-type="organization">Central corruption" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="164466" data-entity-type="topic">anti-corruption Criminal Court said 358kg of the precious metal was recovered in an operation involving Kurdistan regional authorities, under the supervision of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan. An additional 17kg was seized in a separate investigation on the same day. Details of that operation were not disclosed.The recovered gold has been handed over to the Iraq" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="164464" data-entity-type="organization">Central Bank of Iraq’s Issue and Treasury Department as authorities work to track down illicitly acquired assets.It is being seen as a significant development in the escalating corruption" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="164466" data-entity-type="topic">anti-corruption crackdown since Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi was appointed in May.Since then, police have arrested a number of senior officials and uncovered more than $100 million in missing money, plus other valuables.A drainage pit of cashThe assets are tied to the ongoing investigation into al-Jumaili, who was detained in May and officially dismissed from his post on June 2 .The inquiry is looking into activities since last October and centres on allegations that al-Jumaili exploited state resources and government contracts in exchange for kickbacks and personal gain.The latest gold seizure as part of the al-Jumaili investigation follows a major discovery announced last Thursday, when authorities found 14 billion Iraqi dinars ($10.6m) hidden inside a rainwater drainage pit.