182.7 billion Iraqi dinars stolen returned to Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister

"Our commissions carrying out investigations ensured the return of 182 billion dinars (124 million 600 thousand dollars) from the stolen money.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani in a press conference in Baghdad, Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: Federal government of Iraq)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani in a press conference in Baghdad, Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: Federal government of Iraq)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani announced in a press conference on Sunday that a large amount of Iraq’s stolen money was recovered.

"Our commissions carrying out investigations ensured the return of 182.7 billion dinars (124 million 600 thousand dollars) from the stolen money," Sudani said in the announcement.

Nour Zuhair Jassem, who was arrested in charge of stealing the money, will be released on bail by the court and remain in custody to return all the stolen money, he added in the press conference.

Zuhair's trial will be continued after all the stolen money is returned, Sudani confirmed

On October 16, 2.5 billion dollars belonging to the General Tax Authority were allegedly stolen from a state bank. Iraqi Ministry of Finance had sent an official letter to the Iraqi Commission of Integrity to initiate an investigation into the allegations.

Read More: Businessman, suspected of involvement in scandalous $2.5bn theft, arrested in Baghdad

Minister of Interior Othman al-Ghanmi in a statement on October 26, announced that one of the suspects, Nour Zuhair, was arrested at Baghdad International Airport.