The Iraqi Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court has warned the public against a ring of fraudsters exploiting the high-profile investigation into detained Oil Ministry Official to extort local businesspeople.

The Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement late Friday that an investigative judge has revealed that fraudsters and extortionists from various official and unofficial entities are attempting to exploit the ongoing corruption probe into Adnan al-Jumaili, the former Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs, and his associates. 

"These individuals are contacting businesspeople and falsely claiming that their names have appeared in the investigations to extort them," the statement noted.

Following his arrest on May 29, Iraqi authorities carried out multiple asset seizures throughout June against al-Jumaili. These raids uncovered over 40 luxury properties and a massive cash stockpile exceeding $106 million hidden in walls, provincial vehicles, and buried underground. 

A total of more than 60 suspects, including sitting members of parliament and high-ranking officials, were arrested during the massive anti-corruption campaign ordered by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi. 

The operation became a widespread crackdown after al-Jumaili began giving detailed confessions to judicial investigators.

Supreme Judicial Council Urges Rejection of Scams 

The Supreme Judicial Council has urged citizens and business owners to reject these fraudulent claims, refuse all extortion attempts, and immediately report any suspicious behavior to the court. 

The council further highlighted that recent television interviews and recordings on several satellite channels contained entirely false and baseless information regarding the investigations. 

"We emphasize that the court will take the strictest legal actions against those who commit these disgraceful acts, which attempt to distort the efforts of the judiciary, the government, and the specialized anti-corruption agencies," the statement added.