Iraq's state news agency reported that on January 26, security forces detained multiple individuals, including lawmakers who had been stripped of immunity and officials named in corruption-related testimonies. The operation took place in the capital, Baghdad.
A security source said elite counterterrorism units carried out the large-scale sweep in the early hours of the morning, targeting the fortified Green Zone and several nearby districts. The arrests were based on testimony from Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili, who was arrested last month on similar charges.
Authorities previously seized approximately $86 million in cash linked to al-Jumaili's case. Iraq's new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has pledged to intensify the fight against corruption and the mismanagement that has plagued the country for decades.
According to the Associated Press, seven people were arrested on January 26, including five lawmakers. Some of those arrested belong to the political bloc of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. In November's parliamentary election, al-Sudani's bloc won the most seats, but he did not return to the premiership due to a deadlock within the Coordination Alliance, a group of Iran-aligned Shiite parties.
