Iraq’s judiciary on Tuesday confirmed the detention of Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs, Adnan Al Jumaili on corruption charges.
Investigations into Mr Al Jumaili and associates are taking place, the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court said in a statement. It did not set out he charges he faces nor how many people have been arrested with him.
The preliminary investigations led to the confiscation of about 40 properties in Baghdad, Salaheddin and Erbil provinces, the statement added.
Investigators also confiscated about $10 million in cash, 3 billion Iraqi dinars (around $2 million), and 1.5 kilograms of gold, it said.
Large quantities of light and medium weapons were also seized, the court said. “Investigations are continuing to identify all individuals and entities connected to the case,” it added.
On Monday, a security official told The National that the arrest was carried out by a special force and a team from the Federal Integrity Commission in Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad.
The authorities have been investigating billions of dollars’ worth of kickbacks and embezzlement in mainly refinery contracts, the official added.
"He's not alone, he's well-connected and he has built patronage networks to serve some senior politicians and political parties,” he claimed, adding that some employees have been also arrested and others are still at large. He did not elaborate.
Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad described Mr Al Jumaili as the “whale” of the Oil Ministry and accused him of siphoning funds from refineries in Beiji, Doura, Maysan, and Shuaiba.
The arrest is the most prominent since Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi took office last month. During a meeting with local journalists on Saturday, Mr Al Zaidi said Mr Al Jumaili had tried to secure his release through a $200 million bribe offer delivered by a mediator shortly after the detention.
The PM has made anti-corruption a central focus of his government, ordering the creation of the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, and Recovery of Public Funds to monitor high-impact spending and refer findings to the judiciary.
Iraq’s anti-corruption drive drew renewed attention following an announcement last week of large-scale attempted embezzlement. The Integrity Commission announced it had thwarted a scheme to embezzle nearly 1.5 trillion dinars from two state banks in Baghdad.
Iraq ranks 136 out of 181 on Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, with oil sector contracts a frequent target of graft investigations.
Mr Al Jumaili is not the first senior oil official to face scrutiny this year. In May, the US Treasury sanctioned Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maarij Al Bahadly for allegedly diverting Iraqi oil to benefit Iran and Iran-backed militias.
Corruption has been rife in Iraq under successive governments elected after the US-led invasion of 2003, which toppled the dictator Saddam Hussein. Billions of dollars given to the government for reconstruction were misused by authorities.
The widespread corruption has crippled the country’s efforts to overcome the effects of war and UN-imposed economic sanctions. In 2021, former president Barham Salih estimated that Iraq had lost $150 billion to embezzlement since 2003.
