Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity says the coming period will bring significant developments in the recovery of stolen assets and the extradition of fugitives who left the country years ago, while confirming recent progress in returning several wanted individuals.

Parliament Steps Up Oversight of Corruption Cases

As the government and judiciary continue efforts to combat corruption, moves that have received broad political, public, religious, and social support, the Council of Representatives is preparing to strengthen its oversight and legislative role.

Parliament plans to intensify follow-up on major corruption cases by activating investigative, hosting, and questioning committees in coordination with the judiciary, the Federal Commission of Integrity, and other regulatory bodies.

Integrity Commission Reports Progress in Asset Recovery

Abbas Mutaab, Director General of the Recovery Department at the Federal Commission of Integrity (FCoI), told al-Sabah that the Commission has succeeded in extraditing nearly half of the fugitive suspects who fled Iraq compared with previous baseline periods.

He also said the Commission has achieved strong results in recovering stolen public funds traced overseas.

International Cooperation and Legal Challenges

Mutaab said the Commission is working closely with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and other international law enforcement agencies.

However, he noted that cooperation with some host countries remains challenging due to differences between Iraqi legislation and the legal systems of those countries, explaining that legal procedures applied in Iraq cannot always be implemented in foreign jurisdictions.

He added that public funds smuggled abroad have often become integrated into the economies of other countries, making recovery a lengthy legal process that requires comprehensive case files, detailed investigations, evidence gathering, asset tracking, and court enforcement procedures to prove ownership by the Iraqi state.

"Major Surprises" Expected This Year

According to Mutaab, the next phase of the recovery campaign will include major developments involving the return of significant sums of public money and progress in pursuing high-profile fugitives who left Iraq years ago.

He said these efforts are being carried out with the direct support of the Chairman of the Federal Commission of Integrity, Dr. Mohammad Ali Al-Lami, and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faiq Zidan.

Legal Expert: Asset Recovery Must Be Backed by Lasting Reform

Legal expert Safaa al-Shammari, who specializes in anti-money laundering, described the Commission's announcement as a positive development.

Speaking to al-Sabah, al-Shammari said the true measure of success is not the announcement of future achievements but the actual return of stolen assets to the state treasury and the full implementation of judicial rulings against those convicted.

He added that recovering public funds years after they were smuggled abroad demonstrates growing effectiveness in Iraq's international judicial cooperation against money laundering.

Al-Shammari also said successful implementation of the recovery campaign would strengthen Iraq's international financial reputation, increase confidence in the country's anti-money laundering system, and support Iraq's efforts to improve its standing before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

He stressed, however, that asset recovery must be accompanied by comprehensive institutional reforms that prevent public funds from being smuggled abroad in the future, noting that preventing corruption is ultimately more effective than recovering assets after the fact.

Prime Minister Reaffirms Anti-Corruption Campaign

Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi reaffirmed on Saturday, July 4, 2026, that the government remains committed to pursuing corrupt individuals, recovering state assets, and strengthening institutions based on justice and the rule of law.

In a post on the platform X, al-Zaidi said:

"Our government is steadfastly and resolutely pursuing the corrupt, reclaiming the state's rights, and consolidating a state of institutions and justice, and it will not retreat from this approach no matter how great the challenges or how intense the pressures."

Al-Zaidi expressed appreciation to the Iraqi people for supporting the reform process.

He also thanked “the Iraqi Council of Representatives, the Supreme Judicial Council, our great religious authorities, and to the leader of the Shiite National Current, and the brothers in the Coordination Framework, the National Political Council, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, all other forces and parties, the security and oversight agencies, the honorable imams of mosques and prayer halls, the sheikhs of our authentic Iraqi tribes, the brother journalists and media professionals, and to all the national forces that have stood alongside the government in its battle against corruption.”

A Battle for the Future of Iraq

The Prime Minister concluded by saying that the broad national support demonstrates that fighting corruption is not solely the responsibility of the government but a national effort to protect public wealth, uphold the rule of law, and safeguard Iraq's future.