A joint task force from the Iraqi Council of Ministers and the Federal Integrity Commission has arrested Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs Adnan al-Jumaili on charges of financial and administrative corruption.

As part of the anti-corruption campaign, the senior Iraqi Oil Ministry official was arrested on Saturday by security forces in the Ishaki area of Saladin province.

The Minister of Communications Mustafa Sanad confirmed the arrest of al-Jumaili via a social media post, referring to him as "the Oil Whale."

Al-Jumaili was appointed in January 2025 by former Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as the acting Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs.

PM Al-Zaidi Launches Contract Investigations

The arrest comes a day after Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi directed oversight bodies and law enforcement to launch investigations into several major contracts signed by various ministries and government institutions.

His office characterized the probe as an initial step toward exposing administrative irregularities, identifying individuals responsible for the misuse of public funds, and uncovering those who profited at the expense of public interest.

Iraq Establishes Supreme Sovereign Council

Yesterday, al-Zaidi chaired a meeting with the President of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, the Chairman of the Federal Integrity Commission, and other senior officials to order the formation of the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, and Recovery of Public Funds.

The council will oversee ministries, state entities, and governorates on high-impact matters to prevent waste and recover assets, forwarding all findings to the judiciary.