Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani announced that more than 182 billion Iraqi dinars, about 125 million dollars, previously taken from tax authorities have been returned to the state treasury. He spoke at a press conference in Baghdad and credited a coordinated effort by the authorities for recovering the funds, according to DEA News. The prime minister noted that the authorities managed to recover the initial portion of the funds, exceeding 182 billion dinars, during the ongoing investigation. The statement underscored that a dedicated commission of inquiry has traced the embezzlement to a number of individuals who held or exercised oversight powers, including employees within the tax inspectorate and other supervisory agencies, as reported by socialbites.ca and echoed by DEA News.
In October, Iraqi officials announced that investigators had summoned 27 figures from the prior government to account for their roles in the case. A spokesperson for the Iraqi Integration Commission identified several individuals as targets of the inquiry, including four ministers from the former government led by a Sunni-majority coalition — names cited included a former Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan along with former ministers overseeing labor, transport, energy and housing. Dozens of personnel from the Ministry of Defense were also placed on a wanted list as part of the pursuit of accountability, according to the commission and contemporary briefings. The pursuit appears to be part of a broad cleanup effort aimed at restoring integrity in state procurement and contracting processes, in the view of government officials and observers. DEA News provides coverage of these developments and official statements related to the case.
Investigators have also alleged that the authorities may have spent between one and two and a half billion dollars on weapons at inflated prices. The purported discrepancy between actual weapon costs and the figures claimed in procurement agreements is said to have benefited or enriched certain officials and intermediaries who were involved in the procurement chain, according to ongoing inquiries and public disclosures cited by news outlets. The government has framed these revelations as a central step in restoring public trust and tightening oversight of state resources, with further investigations and prosecutions anticipated as the inquiry progresses, as reported by DEA News.