Iraq's communications minister defends arrest of ex-oil deputy, calls him 'oil shark'

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Communications Minister Mustafa Sind told a press conference that Adnan Jamili, a former deputy oil minister known in political circles as the "oil shark," has been arrested, adding that Jamili had long served as a financier for political parties and held wide influence across the executive and legislative branches. Sind said the former official's role in handling oil-sector affairs and his political connections had been known for years, and questioned why the case was opened only now. In a separate development, the government has launched an investigation into alleged video recordings involving Iyad al-Jawhar, director general of the Northern Projects Authority in Kirkuk, and Lina Raid Muhsin, the body's financial director. The authority has denied the claims, but an official inquiry is continuing. The Jamili case has revived debate in Iraq over corruption and political patronage, including allegations of post-election bargaining over senior posts. Critics cited continued shortfalls in health, education and basic services despite large budgets over the past two years, with millions of Iraqis still living in difficult conditions.