Iraqi authorities seized more than $10 million in local currency hidden inside a rainwater drainage pit, marking the latest discovery in an ongoing corruption investigation into the country's former Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs, Adnan al-Jumaili.
The Thursday bust follows a raid days earlier at al-Jumaili’s home in Tikrit, in north-central Iraq, where judicial authorities uncovered 25 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $19.09 million), $1 million in U.S. currency, and roughly five kilograms of gold.
These were just the latest seizures of illicit funds that stemmed from systemic abuses and kickbacks tied to projects overseen by the former official, according to Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council. The latest drainage-pit discovery brings the total value of assets seized during the probe to 127 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $96.9 million) and $24 million.
Bassem Haidar Kadhem al-Gharabi, a member of Iraq's parliamentary Finance Committee, told OCCRP on Friday that the massive scale of the cache points to "an integrated network" rather than a lone actor.
He noted that confessions obtained during the investigation—which began on June 2—have reinforced this assessment and triggered legal summonses for several other individuals.
According to al-Gharabi, the investigation has uncovered a highly coordinated scheme involving an official responsible for approving licenses, an intermediary who facilitated transactions in exchange for financial payouts, and a third party tasked with moving and laundering the cash.
Al-Gharabi expressed strong support for a comprehensive review of all contracts signed during the former minister's tenure. He also called for lifting parliamentary immunity for any lawmakers implicated in the scheme, regardless of their political affiliation or standing.
"No one is above the law, and justice must apply to everyone," he said.
Images published by the Supreme Judicial Council documented the operation, showing law enforcement pulling dozens of white bags packed with cash out of the drainage hiding place. The funds were subsequently transferred to the Second Karkh Investigation Court to complete legal procedures.
No final judicial ruling has been issued against al-Jumaili, who remains in custody as the pre-trial investigation continues.
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