Khaberni - Judge Munir Haddad revealed unprecedented corruption in Iraq since 2003, estimated at two trillion dollars, affirming the government's will to combat corruption, as well as the importance of public support and judicial independence in achieving this.
Legal advisor and former judge Munir Haddad, who carried out the execution of the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, confirmed that the level of corruption in Iraq since 2003 has reached unprecedented levels, suggesting that estimates of about two trillion dollars in lost funds, assets, and real estate are closer to reality if state-owned properties inside and outside of Iraq are considered.
In his talk on the program "In a nutshell," Haddad noted that the current government, in his opinion, has a serious will to fight corruption, stating that Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi informed him that his campaign will not spare any party or personality, focusing on reforming the electricity sector and restoring public trust, considering that the success of these efforts depends on popular support and the independence of the judiciary.
In his discussion about the era of the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Haddad denied that the former regime's hands were clean in public finance matters, asserting that Saddam and his family owned substantial assets and properties, and that the Iraqi Criminal Court looked into files related to embezzlement and abuse of power, while the presidential palaces remained owned by the state and were not registered in the president’s name.
Haddad believed that Iraq’s losses are not limited to oil revenues or government contracts, but also extend to lands, properties, factories, and assets that were seized or transferred ownership through illegal means, making the scale of looted funds much larger than the figures circulated.
Haddad emphasized that the principle of "no one is above the law" must include all officials, including former prime ministers and ministers, acknowledging that the pursuit of major perpetrators remains linked to the political balances and complexities of the Iraqi scene.
He also confirmed that the Iraqi judiciary relies on evidence, not on what is circulated on social media, emphasizing that the presumption of innocence remains the basis until judicial verdicts are issued, and that the recovery of looted funds and assets is still possible through legal channels inside and outside Iraq, if political will and institutional support are available.
