Iraq's whistleblower chief pushes Switzerland envoy to recover smuggled funds

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The head of Iraq's National Whistleblower Commission, Mohammed Ali al-Lami, met Swiss Ambassador Daniel Hun on the occasion of the ambassador's end of diplomatic mission, calling for the return of Iraqi assets taken abroad. According to a statement from the commission, al-Lami said the funds should be channeled into the state treasury to support reconstruction and development projects. Al-Lami stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and said legal assistance between Iraq and Switzerland should continue on preventing, detecting and investigating corruption, returning illicit proceeds and handing suspects over to justice. He described tracking and recovering smuggled funds as a core element of Iraq's anti-corruption work. Ambassador Hun said Switzerland was ready to continue supporting Iraq's oversight bodies and to back efforts to trace illicit proceeds and reinforce transparency standards. No further details were immediately available on any specific cases or amounts under discussion.