Iraq’s Al-Sudani asks regional countries to help in repatriating ‘stolen money'

Combating corruption is at the forefront of the new government, Al-Sudani told the attendees at the meeting, chaired by Jordanian King Abdullah II.
(Front L to R) French President Emmanuel Macron, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, Jordan's King Abdullah, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, Dec. 20, 2022. (Photo: Khalil Mazraawi/AFP)
(Front L to R) French President Emmanuel Macron, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, Jordan's King Abdullah, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, Dec. 20, 2022. (Photo: Khalil Mazraawi/AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ Al-Sudani on Tuesday asked the representatives of Arab and European countries to help Baghdad retrieve its “stolen money”.

The remarks were made during the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership held in   Jordan’s Amman, where members of Arab regional countries, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations envoy to Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, participated.   

Combating corruption is at the forefront of the new government, Al-Sudani told the attendees at the meeting, chaired by Jordanian King Abdullah II.

“We have started the anti-corruption campaign, beginning at the highest levels,” he said, asking the countries “to help us recover the looted and smuggled Iraqi funds and surrender the wanted persons,” who reside in those countries.

This year Iraq faced one of the biggest financial scandals in its history, known as the “heist of the century,” when more than $2 billion USD was embezzled from the tax administration. 

To date, a total of $200 million USD has been recovered, according to the government.

Ravaged by endemic corruption, the scandal has caused a widespread public outcry in Iraq, which is believed to have been committed in August and September 2021.

"The most important thing is the return of the funds. What does it matter if so and so is in prison if the ($2.5 billion) is not in the state's coffers?” Al-Sudani argued in November.

Iraqi sovereignty

A major theme of the conference is protecting Iraqi sovereignty.

French President Macron condemned the violations of Iraqi sovereignty and stressed the assistance of the Europeans to protect Iraq’s sovereignty, calling for a “collective approach”.

The European leader said that civilians have become victims of “interventions” in the region.

The Iraqi premier said that his country would never be a threat to its regional neighbors, reiterating his condemnation of the violations.

The first Baghdad conference was held in August 2021 in the Iraqi capital, where it was attended by Turkish and Iranian diplomats along with a Saudi Arabian envoy.