Maliki endorses anti-corruption campaign, urges government to press on

BAGHDAD — Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, endorsed the government’s anti-corruption campaign on Sunday, calling it a long-awaited step and urging authorities to continue “until the end.”

In a message to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and the judiciary, Maliki congratulated them on launching the campaign to pursue what he called “the corrupt who tampered with the Iraqi people’s money.”

“We affirm our support for you in establishing justice. Continue this mission until the end, as it is a step the Iraqi people have long awaited,” he wrote.

Separately, State of Law lawmaker Othman al-Shaibani issued a statement declaring the coalition’s “full support” for the government’s measures and thanking Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zaidan and Zaidi.

“We announce our full support for the measures taken by the government, in cooperation with the oversight and judicial authorities, as part of the national campaign to combat corruption and pursue those involved,” the statement said, adding that the steps were necessary to protect public funds and reinforce the rule of law.

The coalition said corruption had looted state funds, derailed vital projects, drained the country’s resources and deprived citizens of services, and called on authorities to hold accountable “everyone proven to be involved, without exception or discrimination.”

It said the campaign “must continue until it fully achieves its objectives, foremost among them recovering all stolen funds to the state treasury and holding the corrupt accountable under the law, without any leniency, favoritism or political pressure.”

Maliki and Sudani both bid to lead the next government after the 2025 election before the Shia Coordination Framework settled on Zaidi as a compromise. Several current and former members of Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition were among the 15 people state media named in Sunday’s campaign.

The statements followed a sweeping operation earlier Sunday that Iraqi authorities said led to the arrest of dozens of current and former officials. State media said the arrests were based on confessions by detained Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili, and that the 15 names released so far were the first group in a wider investigation it said involved 47 detainees whose identities would be released later.

The operation was the first official explanation for the large-scale deployment before dawn, when armored vehicles, tanks and Counter Terrorism Service units entered the Green Zone. Residents reported several minutes of gunfire, while ambulances were seen entering residential compounds housing senior officials.

Jumaili, who served as deputy oil minister for extraction affairs, was detained earlier this month over alleged financial irregularities in the oil sector. Authorities have disclosed few details about the investigation beyond confirming he was in custody, but state media has repeatedly linked Sunday’s arrests to confessions made during his interrogation.