Prime suspect in Iraq’s ‘Theft of the Century’ denies state fund involvement, vows to expose culprits
Zuhair asserted, "The funds I managed were secured by checks and transactions audited by the Integrity Commission; none of it belongs to the state. Not a single dinar is state property."
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Nour Zuhair, the central figure in Iraq's notorious "Theft of the Century," which saw the disappearance of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars ($2.5 billion) from tax deposits, has claimed that the stolen funds did not belong to the state.
He has also vowed to publicly expose all those involved in the scandal if brought to trial.
In a recent interview on Al Sharqiya TV's "Al-Muwajaha" program, Zuhair asserted, "The funds I managed were secured by checks and transactions audited by the Integrity Commission; none of it belongs to the state. Not a single dinar is state property."
Zuhair went on to label the alleged theft as a "fabrication," further alleging that a current member of parliament, now vocally opposing him, had once requested a luxury property in Baghdad's prestigious Al-Mansour district, specifically a 1,200 square meter plot.
He strongly emphasized that if he faces trial, especially in an open court, he will disclose the identities of all individuals implicated in the case.
According to Iraqi MP Mustafa Sanad, the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court initially scheduled Zuhair's trial for Wednesday, August 14. However, the trial has now been postponed to the end of August.
The "Theft of the Century" refers to the disappearance of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars from tax deposits, an incident uncovered just two months before the end of former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi's term.
An official document from the Iraqi Tax Authority revealed that $2.5 billion was withdrawn from the state-owned Al-Rafidain Bank between September 2021 and August 2022 through 247 financial checks issued to five companies, which then cashed them out directly.
Following the revelation of the theft, the Integrity Commission and the judiciary initiated investigations, resulting in multiple arrest warrants. Nour Zuhair, a prominent Iraqi businessman and managing director of Al-Mubdeoon Oil Services Company, was the first to be arrested.
Born in Baghdad in 1980, Nour Zuhair Jassem Al-Muthaffar, also known as "Abu Fatima," previously worked in Iraq’s ports before serving as an advisor in the office of the former chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee.
Reports suggest that Zuhair owns over 20 luxury properties in Baghdad and holds significant financial assets and businesses.
He was apprehended on October 24, 2022, while attempting to flee the country on a private jet from Baghdad International Airport.
