Iraq court seizes 7 billion dinars, $5.5 million in former transport minister's office chief case

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi court has seized approximately 7 billion Iraqi dinars and $5.5 million in cash during an investigation into the office director of former Transport Minister Kazım Fincan Cümeyli, according to court records. The funds and certain movable assets were placed under seizure as part of a probe into the director's financial holdings and transactions during his tenure at the ministry's office under Cümeyli. Investigators determined that the seized amounts consisted of funds not reflected in official records, court documents show. Initial findings indicate that the cash was kept at the ministry office and managed by unauthorized individuals, according to officials familiar with the case. The review of financial statements and bank account activity is continuing, with authorities expected to take statements from individuals named in the case file. The court has notified the relevant bodies after ordering precautionary measures on the assets in question. No further details were immediately available.