The arrest of an Iraqi accused of "stealing" $ 2.5 billion

Iraqi security forces have arrested a businessman accused of being involved in a "stealing" case of $2.5 billion in tax money while he was trying to leave Iraq, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior.

This issue, which came out to the media in mid-October, sparked widespread controversy in Iraq.

An official letter issued by the Tax Authority revealed that $2.5 billion was withdrawn between 2021 and 2022 from the Rafidain State Bank, through 247 financial instruments issued to five companies that disbursed them in cash directly.

The statement issued by Othman Al-Ghanimi, Minister of Interior, stated that "Noor Zuhair Jassim was arrested at Baghdad International Airport while he was trying to leave the country by a private plane."

 The Government Integrity Commission said, in a statement, that the suspect is the "delegated director of the (Al-Mabdioon) Oil Services Company Limited", and he is "one of the accused in the case of the amounts of tax deposits deposited in the branches of the Rafidain Bank."

The judiciary had previously heard statements from a number of officials in the Tax Authority on this issue, and also issued arrest warrants against the owners of companies accused of withdrawing funds.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news