Iraqi Parliament grants amnesty to key figures in the Theft of the Century

Iraqi Parliament grants amnesty to key figures in the Theft of the Century
2025-01-21T16:05:21+00:00

Shafaq News/ The Newly amended General Amnesty Law will include those involved in the Theft of the Century, Independent MP Yasser Al-Husseini revealed on Tuesday.

In a statement to Shafaq News, Al-Husseini said, "The amendment to the General Amnesty Law passed in today's parliamentary session includes major corrupt individuals. This is a harmful practice introduced by Parliament."

The law will include figures like Nour Zuhair, Raad Jouhi, Haitham Al-Jubouri, and others.

On October 24, 2022, over 3 trillion Iraqi dinars (2.5 billion USD) were lost through fake bonds from five oil companies. This is part of the "Theft of the Century" investigation and as a result, officials close to former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi were summoned.

Zuhair received a 10-year sentence, while ex-lawmaker Haitham al-Jubouri was sentenced to three years, and former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's chief of staff, Raed Jouhi, was sentenced to six years for their involvement.

Nour Zuhair was arrested as head of one involved company but was later released on bail after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced the recovery of 5% of the stolen funds, with a promise from Zuhair to return the full amount.

Zuhair's trial is set for August 14, 2024, but it has been delayed multiple times due to his absence.

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