Iraq arrests electricity ministry official after seizing millions in cash and gold
21:33, 18 августа 2026 г.
The arrest of Undersecretary Khalid Ghazay Atiya marks a major escalation in Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s sweeping anti-corruption drive, bringing Iraq’s deeply troubled electricity sector under unprecedented scrutiny.
In what appears to be the latest escalation of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched by Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, federal authorities have arrested the undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity, seizing millions of dollars in cash and gold bars from his properties.
The official, Khalid Ghazay Atiya, was arrested on Aug. 14 by the Federal Commission of Integrity on charges of corruption and illicit enrichment, according to the country’s official Iraqi News Agency.
Investigators executed search warrants at Atiya’s residences, uncovering $5.839 million and 1.175 billion Iraqi dinars (nearly $900,000) in cash, alongside seven gold bars and alloys. The commission submitted the seized assets to an investigating judge for further legal action.
The high-profile arrest brings one of Iraq’s largest and most contentious areas of public spending under unprecedented scrutiny. While Prime Minister al-Zaidi’s anti-graft drive - launched in late June alongside the integrity commission - initially focused heavily on the Ministry of Oil, Atiya’s arrest marks the first major case targeting the Ministry of Electricity. Having served in the ministry since 2001 and as director general for transmission and distribution in the northern region since 2019, Atiya oversaw a vital segment of Iraq’s national power infrastructure.
The raid followed growing public demand to investigate long-standing corruption within the power sector. On Aug. 10, just days before the seizure, Taha al-Difai, head of the Iraqi parliament’s Integrity Committee, told OCCRP that the government’s anti-corruption efforts were still in their early stages and called for major probes into public institutions - specifically highlighting the electricity ministry - dating back to 2003.
Prime Minister al-Zaidi echoed those sentiments that same day, declaring that "there are no red lines in pursuing the corrupt" and urging parliament to help "dry up the sources" of graft. To date, the crackdown has targeted dozens of senior officials and lawmakers. In mid-July, investigators targeting the oil sector recovered $47 million in commercial assets and additional caches of cash and gold tied to former deputy oil minister Adnan al-Jumaili.
The Integrity Commission has not yet detailed the specific transactions at the center of the case against Atiya, and no formal judicial ruling has been issued. Atiya could not be reached directly for comment.