Iraqi sources confirmed today (Friday) the arrest of the Deputy Minister of Electricity, Khaled Ghazai, as part of the anti-corruption campaign. The nature of the charges against Ghazai has not yet been revealed, nor whether his detention is directly related to other corruption cases currently under investigation.

The arrest of the official from the Ministry of Electricity comes at a time when the country is witnessing a notable expansion in investigations related to financial corruption and the exploitation of government contracts, following the scandal that erupted around the Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs, Adnan Al-Jumaili, which later extended to politicians, officials, and other figures.

The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council announced that the investigation into Al-Jumaili's case began in October 2025, after receiving information about the spending of large sums of money to support electoral campaigns by exploiting state resources and with the backing of influential figures.

After Al-Jumaili's arrest, the judiciary announced that investigations revealed suspicions regarding the direct or intermediary benefit of members of the House of Representatives from government contracts, and the receipt of commissions and personal benefits, leading to an expansion of the investigation scope.

The case led in June to the arrest of several deputies and officials after lifting the immunity of deputies whose names appeared in the investigations, while the judiciary confirmed at the time that procedures would expand to include political figures and others based on the evidence uncovered.

The case did not stop at arrests but turned into a wide operation to track down funds and assets.

On July 6, the judiciary announced that the total amount of seized funds at that time had risen to 127 billion Iraqi dinars and 24 million dollars, in addition to real estate, vehicles, and gold jewelry. It was later revealed that additional amounts were seized, including money found within the walls of homes and other amounts hidden by individuals.

Decisions were issued to seize 9 commercial properties and 3 flour production factories in Mosul, estimated to be worth about 69 billion dinars, in addition to 7 modern trucks, as part of the asset-tracking procedures related to the case.

In July, the judiciary announced the recovery and retention of 375 kilograms of gold as part of the case and another investigation, and the quantities were handed over to the Central Bank of Iraq.

On July 26, the judiciary announced the seizure of an additional 27 billion dinars in Al-Jumaili's case, clarifying that the money was hidden by several individuals, and confirming that the investigation would continue to reach all those involved.