By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has issued a warning to the public regarding the circulation of foreign banknotes - including authentic, withdrawn, and counterfeit currency - used by fraudsters to deceive citizens. According to the CBI, criminals lure individuals into exchanging these notes for Iraqi dinars at inflated rates under the […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Interior has announced that the Anti-Organized Crime Unit in Najaf Governorate successfully apprehended a suspect involved in the trade and circulation of counterfeit currency. According to a statement from the Ministry, the arrest followed intensive intelligence gathering and continuous monitoring, and was carried out based on precise information. The […]
By John Lee. Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad has sentenced three defendents in the "tax deposit" scandal, often referred to as the "heist of the century." The case involves the theft of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars ($2.5 billion) from the General Tax Authority's account at the state-run Rafidain Bank. According to a brief statement from […]
By John Lee. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has claimed that Iraq's dollar auction system has been exploited by money launderers and militant groups. Click here to read the report. (Source: OCCRP)
By John Lee. Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility has announced that Iraq's Korek Telecom has been ordered to pay it nearly $1.2 billion in damages. The judgement by International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)'s International Court of Arbitration relates to allegations of fraud and corruption orchestrated by Korek with a view to unlawfully causing the expropriation Agility's […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Integrity Commission called for streamlining unnecessary procedures when visiting property registration offices. A survey measuring bribery perceptions revealed that 63% of reviewers stated that the desire for quick transaction processing was the primary reason for paying bribes. The Commission recommended strengthening the monitoring role of the Ministry of Justice's regulatory bodies […]
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Torture and Illegally Exporting Weapons Parts and Related Services to Iraq A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 70 years in prison for torturing an Estonian citizen in 2015 in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and for the illegal export of weapons parts and related services. According to court […]
By Adam Lucente for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Who is Najah al-Shammari, former Iraqi defense minister arrested in Sweden? Shammari served in the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein and following the 2003 US invasion, and was under […]
By John Lee. A former Iraqi Defense Minister has reportedly been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of fraud. Najah al-Shammari (pictured), who served in the government of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi from May 2019 to June 2020, is said to have been arrested at Stockholm Airport. Shammari, who holds dual Iraqi-Swedish citizenship, is suspected of […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Commission of Integrity has announced that a suspect in the theft of approx $2.5 billion from the Iraqi tax authorities has being extradited from Jordan to Iraq. The theft of 3.7 trillion Iraqi dinars ($2.5 billion) from the General Tax Authority's account at the state-run Rafidain Bank is sometimes referre to […]
By John Lee. Iraq has been granted membership of the Egmont Group, which focuses on exchanging information among financial investigation units combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The vote took place during the group's 29th general meeting in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Judge of the Court […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals has been hit by a financial scandal with the disappearance of 120 billion dinars [$92 million] from one of its companies. An Investigation and Control Division's official, who recently moved to the General Company for the Automotive and Equipment Industry in Iskandariya [Alexandria], in Babil […]
