A 375kg haul of gold has been recovered in the investigation linked to detained deputy oil minister Adnan Al Jumaili in Iraq, the Supreme Judicial Council announced on Monday.
He was arrested last month on suspicion of corruption. Investigators have alleged that billions of dollars in kickbacks and embezzlement were connected to oil refinery contracts, according to security officials familiar with the case.
The case forms part of a broader anti-corruption campaign launched by Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi after he took office in May.
“In co-ordination with the Kurdistan Region, and under the supervision of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faiq Zaidan, 358kg of gold were recovered,” a statement from the judicial council, carried by Iraqi state media, said. It added that another 17kg was seized in a separate investigation, bringing the total to 375kg.
The judicial council said the recovered gold was handed over to the Central Bank of Iraq as part of efforts to complete inquiries into the Al Jumaili case.
Investigators have discovered stashes of money hidden in water bottles, walls and a drainpipe in a series of startling finds since his arrest. More than $100 million in cash has been seized. Last month, Iraqi security personnel arrested 47 legislators and other officials in a series of raids.
Some suspects implicated in Mr Al Jumaili's case could be covered by an amnesty law amended in January 2025, meaning they may escape punishment if they pay back any outstanding funds.
Corruption has been rife in Iraq under successive governments elected since the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. In 2021, former president Barham Salih estimated $150 billion had been lost to embezzlement since then.
