SAVAYA: WE HAVE REACHED A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE INVOLVED IN CORRUPTION AMONG SENIOR IRAQI OFFICIALS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
The US envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, confirmed that a comprehensive understanding has been reached of the individuals involved in corruption cases in Iraq, noting that this includes senior government officials and their family members who have benefited from corruption funds.
Savaya stated in a post on the X platform on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) that “while our team works on the ground in Iraq to support the formation of a new government and prevent Iranian-backed militias from gaining access to centers of power, it is equally, if not more, important to prepare for the corruption crisis in Iraq.”
He added that “this effort must go beyond simply tracking the money that was looted and transferred out of the country; it must also identify the destinations to which that money went and how it was ultimately used.”
The US envoy noted that “through coordination with other institutions, we now have a comprehensive understanding of the individuals involved, including senior government officials and their family members who have benefited from Iraqi corruption funds.”
Savaya explained that “these funds were not only used to purchase multiple properties in different countries, but were also used to obtain foreign nationalities and passports; sometimes under the same names, and in other cases under different identities, with the aim of evading tracking and accountability in the future.”
He pointed out that “the majority of these cases are concentrated within the region, while other cases extend outside of it through (citizenship for investment) programs offered by some countries.”
Savaya emphasized that “this information greatly enhances the ability to prosecute and hold accountable, recover stolen assets, and cooperate with international partners to combat corruption at its source.”
The US envoy concluded by saying, “Corruption not only harms the Iraqi people and undermines national security, but it also enables terrorist groups and fuels terrorist activities in multiple countries,” stressing: “We will work closely with the US Treasury Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to ensure that all parties involved are held accountable without exception; no one is above the law, and justice will be served for the Iraqi people.”