Iraq's judiciary has issued arrest warrants for four former government officials over the theft of $2.5 billion in public funds in one of the country's biggest corruption scandals.
An investigating judge in Baghdad issued the warrants on Saturday, the country's anti-corruption agency said.
The four men are accused of "facilitating the embezzlement of sums belonging to the tax authorities", it said.
The agency said the officials would also be subject to an asset freeze.
The four men, who include a former finance minister and staff of former Iraqi prime minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, all live outside the country, an official at the agency told AFP.
The warrants do not name the accused, but the official identified them as former finance minister Ali Allawi, former director of cabinet Raed Jouhi, personal secretary Ahmed Najati and adviser Mushrik Abbas.
Mr Allawi resigned from his post in August last year. When the scandal broke a few months later, he denied involvement.
Mr Al Kadhimi has defended his record on fighting corruption, saying his government discovered the case, opened an investigation and took legal action.
The case, which has been called "the heist of the century", sparked outrage in Iraq, which is plagued by corruption.
At least 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars ($2.5 billion) was stolen between September 2021 and August 2022 through 247 cheques cashed by five companies.
The money was withdrawn in cash. Most of the owners of the companies are on the run.
The cheques were issued by the General Commission of Taxes, an office within the Ministry of Finance.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, who vowed to crack down on corruption after taking office in October, announced the recovery of 182.6 billion dinars a month later.
Standing besides large stacks of banknotes, he said two businessmen were arrested over the scandal.
All of the recovered funds were from businessman Nour Jassim, chief executive of Al Qanit and Al Mubdioon companies, Mr Al Sudani said.
Mr Jassim was arrested at Baghdad International Airport while trying to leave the country on a private jet.
He confessed to receiving more than $1 billion, Mr Al Sudani said.
Mr Jassim was released on bail on condition of recovering the remaining funds within two weeks, the Prime Minister said at the time.
Leaked details of an investigation into the scandal launched by Mr Al Kadhimi's government showed at least three of the companies accused of involvement were established in July 2021.
Trading companies and people who deal with the government have to deposit money as a performance guarantee, from which taxes are later deducted.
Afterwards, the companies and people can apply to withdraw what is left from their deposits.
“These amounts have been stolen by the companies through the cheques issued by the General Commission of Taxes instead of going to the real beneficiaries,” the investigation said.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Kibsons%20Cares
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
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What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
