Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Former Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami has been officially summoned by a court and put on a judicial wanted list as authorities broaden a corruption probe that has reached high political and government officials, according to sources.
Sami is thought to be outside Iraq and has not been captured.
The alleged court action is part of an inquiry and does not prove misconduct or lead to a conviction.
The revelation comes as Iraq’s new administration steps up its anti-corruption effort, which has already resulted in the detention of important political personalities and bureaucrats.
Former Salah al-Din governor Ahmed al-Jubouri, often known as Abu Mazen, was detained in Baghdad recently on suspicions of misusing public contract funds.
A close acquaintance was also arrested as part of the inquiry.
The new charges stem from a big operation in Baghdad’s highly protected Green Zone in late June, when Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service detained numerous officials as part of a larger corruption probe.
According to reports at the time, authorities were looking into claims involving government contracts and huge sums of public money.
Sami, the previous administration’s finance minister under former Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani, was one of Iraq’s most significant economic leaders, responsible for handling the federal budget, government expenditures, and financial ties between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
The purported summons therefore implies a potentially major extension of the probe against individuals who formerly held top positions inside the Iraqi state.
Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s administration has prioritized combating corruption and improving state institutions as part of its domestic agenda to boost public trust and reassure international investors.
With the arrest of Abu Mazen and the rumored legal proceedings against Sami, Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign is gaining traction among established political players.
However, the claims are still being examined, and individuals who are being arrested have the right to due process.