Kurdistan Region Helps Iraq Recover 375kg of Gold in Corruption Probe

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced Monday that authorities have recovered 375 kilograms of gold linked to an expanding corruption investigation centered on former Oil Ministry Undersecretary Adnan al-Jumaili, describing the operation as a major advance in one of the country's largest anti-graft cases.

According to the council, the recovery was carried out in coordination with the Kurdistan Region and under the direct supervision of Supreme Judicial Council President Judge Faiq Zidan, underscoring growing cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil in pursuing suspects and recovering state assets.

An investigative judge from the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court said authorities recovered 358 kilograms of gold through coordination with the Kurdistan Region.

A further 17 kilograms were seized during a separate but related investigation, bringing the total amount recovered during Monday's operation to 375 kilograms.

The council said all of the recovered gold has been transferred to the Director General of the Issue and Vaults Department at the Central Bank of Iraq for safekeeping as part of the ongoing judicial proceedings.

The latest seizure substantially broadens the investigation surrounding al-Jumaili, the former undersecretary for refining affairs at Iraq's Oil Ministry, whose arrest earlier this year triggered an expansive corruption probe reaching into multiple layers of the political establishment.

Judicial authorities have previously disclosed that investigators recovered 127 billion Iraqi dinars and $24 million in cash connected to the case, in addition to luxury vehicles, real estate holdings and other gold assets allegedly tied to the network.

Read More: Iraq Finance Ministry Defines Role in Anti-Corruption Asset Recovery

The allegations remain under judicial investigation.

According to the Supreme Judicial Council, the investigation widened significantly following al-Jumaili's arrest and interrogation, leading prosecutors to pursue cases involving lawmakers, political party leaders and government officials suspected of involvement in the alleged corruption network.

The latest recovery comes as Iraq continues to intensify a nationwide anti-corruption campaign that increasingly combines judicial investigations, financial asset recovery and security operations.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has described the current campaign as only the "first stage" of a broader effort to dismantle entrenched corruption networks, pledging that no individual or institution would serve as a safe haven for those accused of looting public funds.

Read More: Iraq Prime Minister Vows No Mercy in Stage One of Corruption Crackdown

His government has repeatedly emphasized closer coordination between the judiciary, executive authorities and security institutions as investigations expand across multiple sectors.

That strategy became particularly visible in late June, when elite units of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) carried out a rare operation inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

According to previous Kurdistan24 reporting, CTS forces executed judicial warrants targeting residences of senior officials and political figures as part of the expanding investigation linked to the al-Jumaili case.

Security officials cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) said the arrests were conducted under judicial authorization, highlighting the legal framework guiding the operation.

The raid attracted significant attention because of its location inside Iraq's most heavily protected political district, home to key government institutions and diplomatic missions.

Investigators have since indicated that the inquiry broadened after information obtained during al-Jumaili's detention. While several officials and lawmakers have been detained, allegations against those under investigation have not been proven in court.

Alongside arrests and seizures, Iraqi authorities have increasingly stressed that recovering public assets is a central objective of the campaign.

Read More: Iraqi CTS Raids Green Zone: Officials Arrested in Corruption Probe

The Ministry of Finance recently clarified that its legal responsibility is limited to safeguarding the state treasury by pursuing the recovery of stolen public funds through enforceable financial mechanisms.

It emphasized that criminal prosecutions, court proceedings, sentencing and clemency decisions remain exclusively within the jurisdiction of Iraq's judiciary.

The ministry said any repayment arrangements involving recovered assets must fully protect public finances while complying with judicial rulings, reinforcing what officials have described as a dual-track strategy of pursuing criminal accountability while restoring misappropriated state resources.

Monday's announcement also highlighted the growing importance of coordination between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region in complex financial investigations.

In recent weeks, cooperation between federal authorities and the Kurdistan Regional Government has included the transfer of suspects sought under federal warrants as well as coordination in tracing and recovering assets linked to ongoing corruption cases.

Officials have increasingly portrayed such intergovernmental cooperation as essential to preventing suspects from exploiting jurisdictional boundaries and to strengthening nationwide enforcement efforts.

The recovery of 375 kilograms of gold represents another milestone in Iraq's widening anti-corruption campaign, illustrating how authorities are increasingly integrating judicial investigations, financial asset recovery, security operations and cooperation between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region in an effort to dismantle alleged corruption networks and restore confidence in state institutions.

While investigations continue, judicial authorities have maintained that all allegations remain subject to due legal process until established by the courts.