Iraq has significantly intensified its fight against corruption, with Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi announcing a new initiative that offers substantial financial rewards to citizens who help authorities uncover assets and public funds obtained through corrupt practices. The move marks the latest step in a widening anti-graft campaign that has already resulted in the arrests of dozens of senior officials and the recovery of millions of dollars in stolen state funds.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office and reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), citizens are being encouraged to report information about assets and public money acquired through corruption. The government said the initiative is designed to help identify, recover, and return stolen public resources to the state while strengthening public participation in the country’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts.

The statement emphasized that the government views ordinary citizens as an essential partner in combating financial crimes that have drained Iraq’s economy for decades. Officials pledged that individuals who provide credible information leading to the recovery of illicit assets would receive “substantial financial rewards,” although the government has not yet disclosed the exact size of the incentives or the procedures for distributing them.

The announcement comes amid one of the most aggressive anti-corruption crackdowns Iraq has undertaken in recent years. The campaign gained momentum in late May when authorities arrested Adnan Al-Jumaili, the country’s deputy minister responsible for oil and refining affairs, along with several associates. Investigators alleged that the group was involved in a large-scale corruption network that diverted hundreds of millions of dollars from public funds.

The initial arrests sent shockwaves through Iraq’s political establishment, particularly because the oil sector remains the backbone of the country’s economy. Iraq possesses some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and revenues from crude exports account for the overwhelming majority of government income. Consequently, allegations of........

© Blitz