By Adel Kadhim
Azzaman, December 7, 2014
Iraq’ Integrity Commission says it has traced at least $1 billion in cash, jewelry as well as other precious items, which were stashed away by former president Saddam Hussein and one of his half-brothers.
The commission said $500 million which presumably were deposited Swiss banks and held by Saddam Hussein in an account belonging to one of his closes aides have been frozen by Swiss authorities.
The other half billion belonged to Barazan al-Tikriti, Saddam’s half-brother who was intelligence chief in the 1980s and Iraq’s ambassador to Switzerland before returning to Iraq just prior to the 2003-U.S. led invasion that toppled Saddam’s government.
The allegations come amid reports that corruption is rampant in Iraq and has reached untold proportions in some ministries. An investigation has revealed a ‘ghost army’ of nearly 50,000 soldiers who have been on Defense Ministry’s payroll but did not exist in reality.
Bakhtiyar Omar, the commission’s deputy head, told Azzaman that Tikriti’s treasure included cash, gold bullions, property, villas and companies with forged identities.
He said Swiss courts were looking into the possibility of returning to Iraq at least $500 million registered under the name of Khalaf al-Dulaimi but in fact they belonged to Saddam Hussein.
Dulaimi has admitted that the account was his but denied it belonged to Saddam Hussein.
Omar said his commission’s findings were sent to a government directorate specialized in retrieving assets belonging to Saddam Hussein’s regime.
He said his commission was aware of assets stashed away in Lebanon, Jordan, Franc and the U.K.
