Iraqi judiciary seizes 40 properties, cash and gold in oil case

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said Friday that investigators had seized a range of assets in a case involving Adnan Muhammad Mahmoud, acting deputy oil minister and head of Shushunma affairs. The council said the seizures included about 40 properties in Baghdad, Salahaddin and Erbil, along with $10 million, 3 billion Iraqi dinars and about 1.5 kilograms of gold. It also said investigators found a number of light and medium weapons in connection with the inquiry. A judicial official said the seized assets belonged to Mahmoud and other people linked to the case, and said the investigation was continuing. The same source said Mahmoud had been detained in recent days by a special security force in the Ishaki area of Salahaddin on corruption charges. It also said the financial department manager at the North Refinery Company had earlier been detained by a security force that came from Baghdad.