Iraq sentences 12 tax employees in ‘heist of the century’ corruption case

Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council said Friday that courts sentenced 12 employees of the General Commission for Taxes to prison for helping businessman Noor Zuhair withdraw state funds in the country's so-called "heist of the century" corruption case.

In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the council said the convictions were part of broader efforts by specialized anti-corruption courts to prosecute those involved in financial crimes while recovering stolen public funds.

The council said Iraqi courts had also sentenced Zuhair in absentia to 10 years in prison after he stopped repaying the remaining funds he owed to the state and left the country.

An extradition file has been prepared, and the Arab and International Police Directorate has been asked to seek his return to Iraq, it added.

According to the council, authorities have recovered 365 billion Iraqi dinars (about $279 million) from Zuhair as part of the case.

It said Zuhair's release on bail in 2023 was based on an agreement between the then head of the Supreme Judicial Council and the former prime minister to facilitate the recovery of the stolen funds.

The council added that authorities had seized real estate and other assets belonging to some of those convicted in Iraq and Kuwait and would pursue similar measures in other major corruption cases.

It also said it is coordinating with Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi to develop a constitutional and legal framework to recover state funds in exchange for reduced legal measures against those who voluntarily return stolen money.

The council said those convicted could be eligible for Iraq's amended Amnesty Law if they repay the money owed to the state.

The case dates back to 2022, when Iraq's Tax Authority accused five private companies, in coordination with employees at the Finance Ministry and the General Commission for Taxes, of embezzling public funds from tax deposit accounts in what became known as the country's "heist of the century."

The funds consisted of tax deposits paid by companies and individuals executing government contracts or importing goods, which were to be refunded after contractual obligations were fulfilled.

The amount initially reported stolen was about 2.5 trillion Iraqi dinars (around $1.7 billion at the time). However, on May 19, 2026, Iraq's parliamentary Integrity Committee said investigations had uncovered far larger embezzlement, raising the estimated value of the case to nearly 8 trillion Iraqi dinars. The committee also said around 30 people were linked to the case.

Zuhair is the main suspect in the scandal. After being released on bail in November 2023, he returned part of the embezzled funds to the state treasury before leaving Iraq.

Last week, Iraqi authorities announced the arrest of dozens of suspects in major financial and administrative corruption cases, including lawmakers and government officials whose legal immunity had been lifted.

The arrests followed statements made during the investigation involving former Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Adnan Al-Jumaili, who was dismissed from his post on June 2, 2026, over allegations of wasting public funds and awarding illegal contracts.