2012 Iraqi ministry document reignites scrutiny of businessman Haydar Ebadi's firms

A 2012 official letter from Iraq's Ministry of Commerce to the Iraqi Embassy in Jordan has revived scrutiny of businessman and politician Haydar Ebadi. According to the document, the Prime Minister's Office informed the ministry that "Miami" Distribution, Marketing and Commercial Brokerage, a company linked to Ebadi, had engaged in illegal commercial activities, including importing products banned in Jordan under different brand names into Iraq. During the same period, Ebadi's name was tied to allegations of cigarette and tobacco trading using forged invoices to evade customs duties. The Pandora Papers drew attention to companies Ebadi established in marketing, brokerage and investment, with some reports claiming that the resulting revenues were channeled into real estate and banking holdings. In 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department placed Ebadi on its Magnitsky sanctions list, citing corruption, abuse of influence and bribery of state officials. The matter has since expanded to include Iraqi arrest warrants, asset freezes and new allegations linking him to proceeds from the Central Bank of Iraq's dollar auction. In a separate case filed in Chicago, Ebadi was among five individuals convicted on federal corruption and embezzlement charges.