Iraq recovers $25 million in stolen state funds over two years, Justice Ministry says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Justice announced on Saturday that $25 million in stolen state funds smuggled abroad over the past two years has been recovered and returned to the public treasury. The ministry said the recovered sum consisted of public assets illegally transferred out of the country. According to the ministry, the legal procedures to secure the funds' return were coordinated by the Justice Ministry in cooperation with authorities in the relevant foreign jurisdictions. It did not name the countries involved or specify when the recoveries took place. The ministry added that judicial proceedings are continuing to identify those responsible for the losses and bring them to trial. Officials said efforts to safeguard public funds would continue without interruption and that international cooperation on similar cases would be maintained. It gave no further details on the number of cases, the jurisdictions involved or the individuals under investigation.