Iraq has widened its investigation into suspected manipulation of US dollar sales at Rafidain Bank’s branch inside Baghdad International Airport, a source told Shafaq News on Saturday.
The probe centers on how dollars were being sold to travelers at the official exchange rate through the state-owned bank’s airport office. This process has faced repeated complaints in the past, along with accusations of corruption and favoritism.
According to official documents, the Ministry of Finance has ordered that more employees and officials be added to the investigation. These individuals are expected to be questioned, and legal steps could follow. The investigation now also looks at who holds administrative and legal responsibility for how dollar sales were handled at the airport branch.
Earlier, Finance Minister Taif Sami temporarily removed Rafidain Bank’s director, Ali Al-Fatlawi, along with more than 20 other officials, over suspicions tied to dollar sales at the airport and other possible violations. However, those decisions were later reversed, and the officials returned to their posts. Sources told Shafaq News that political pressure played a role in their reinstatement.
Rafidain Bank sells dollars to travelers at Baghdad airport through an electronic pre-booking system, with customers collecting the cash at the airport. The bank has stopped dollar sales before due to similar concerns, but the results of past investigations were never publicly announced.
So far, neither the Ministry of Finance nor Rafidain Bank has issued a comment on the expanded investigation.
