Is the government serious about recovering all the money from the theft of the century?

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[size=52]Is the government serious about recovering all the money from the theft of the century?[/size]

[size=45]MP Mohammed Al-Baldawi confirmed the government's seriousness in recovering all the money from the so-called theft of the century.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Baldawi said, “Nour Zuhair or others who were involved in the embezzlement of public funds will be referred to the judiciary, which will be the final arbiter in resolving all cases.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "There is no leniency with any person, no matter how involved in corruption in the country."[/size]
[size=45]He continued, "The government is serious about recovering all the stolen money of the century," indicating that "the government faces a challenge to implement its program, which includes combating corruption as an important pillar in building state institutions."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the Iraqi judiciary is fair and just, and that investigations are taking their course in tracking down and recovering funds and exposing everyone involved in corruption cases, whether in the theft of the century or otherwise."[/size]
[size=45]The controversial businessman, Nour Zuhair, who is linked to the so-called “theft of the century” case, appeared in his first television interview.[/size]
[size=45]Zuhair spoke about his readiness for a public trial in which he would reveal all the names, and described the phrase “theft of the century” as a lie, calling on the Iraqi judiciary not to be influenced by programmed campaigns carried out by some media outlets to try to influence a part of public opinion in Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Member of Parliament Faleh Al-Khazaali considered that the compass of the “theft of the century” had turned into “political blackmail,” stressing the need to hold a public trial for the main defendants in it.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Khazaali said in a tweet, “If a public trial is not held for those involved in stealing trillions of dollars from Nour Zuhair and 50 other defendants, whoever is in a position of responsibility will be accused of complicity.”[/size]
[size=45]He added that “after Nour Zuhair’s absence from the court and his appearance in the media, he turned from a defendant to a hero, and the case’s compass changed from stealing 3 trillion to political blackmail,” stressing that “a public trial is a legitimate demand.”
The revelation of the theft of the money shocked Iraq due to the large amount of money, although the country is somewhat coexisting with the corruption that dominates state facilities.[/size]
[size=45]Transparency International, a global watchdog, ranked Iraq 157th out of 180 countries on its 2021 Clean Governance Index.[/size]
[size=45]Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has pledged to crack down on corruption, but few expect any senior officials or political leaders to be held accountable, the Associated Press reports.[/size]
[size=45]The embezzled amount amounts to about 2.8 percent of the state budget for 2021.
The auditors’ report, obtained by the Associated Press and first published by the Guardian, suggests the theft was orchestrated by a broad network of officials, civil servants and businessmen.[/size]
[size=45]In Iraq's entrenched patronage system, these individuals often have connections to powerful political factions.[/size]
[size=45]Iraqi lawyer and legal expert, Hussein Al-Saadoun, said, “The next steps are for the judiciary to complete its investigations through the specialized court, which is the Integrity Court, and it is also possible to request an administrative investigation.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Saadoun added, “It appears from the news that has been reported through the media that the laws applied in this case are embezzlement laws, the maximum sentences of which range from 10 years to life imprisonment, according to the position and job title of the employees who participated in it.”[/size]
[size=45]He added that the accused, Nour Zuhair, benefited from a legal text that states that a briber receives reduced sentences if he provides the judiciary with information about the case that leads to the discovery of the collaborators.[/size]
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