Iraq arrests oil ministry official, recovers cash and gold hidden in walls

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi authorities have arrested Adnan Jamil, Deputy Minister of Liquidation Affairs at the Ministry of Oil and head of the North Oil Company, in an operation carried out by a special Interior Ministry security unit in Saladin province. Iraq's Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court said large sums of cash and gold jewelry were found concealed in the walls of his homes. According to the court, 25 billion Iraqi dinars and $200,000 in cash, along with gold jewelry sets, were recovered during the raid. The court added that part of the money had been deposited in banks under the names of other individuals, while the remainder was carefully hidden inside the walls of several residences. The court also warned that fraudsters had been contacting businesspeople during the investigation, soliciting payments in connection with the case, a development it said reflected the scale of the file. Reporting based on Jamil's statements suggested that certain members of parliament and politicians had also come under scrutiny as part of the probe. The extent of any further political fallout remained unclear, and no additional details were immediately available about planned next steps in the case.