Iraq and Switzerland discuss ways to overcome obstacles to recovering smuggled funds and assets

FCoI Commissioner Dr. Mohammed Ali Al-Lami discussed Today, Monday, with the Swedish Ambassador, Daniel Hohn, ways to overcome obstacles to recovering smuggled funds and assets.
 
Al-Lami said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), "Recovering smuggled funds contributes to maximizing the state treasury and completing development and reconstruction projects, as we called on the states parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption to cooperate and provide legal assistance among themselves; in order to recover the proceeds of corruption from smuggled funds and assets." 
 
According to the statement, Al-Lami stressed "Iraq's efforts to cleanse state institutions of corruption and prevent the smuggling of its proceeds and revenues," noting "Iraq's need for those funds that were looted from the state treasury; in order to complete development and reconstruction projects, expressing his understanding of some of the procedures imposed by some countries before cooperating in returning smuggled funds, including differences in national laws and legislation."
 
It continued, "The Iraqi state is working on two aspects in the file of recovering funds, the first is recovering Iraqi funds that others (Iraqis and foreigners) obtained illegally; as a result of the misuse of the Oil for Food Program, the siege, smuggling, economic sabotage, or exploitation of the sanctions imposed on Iraq before 2003," indicating that "the second aspect of the recovery file relates to the proceeds of corruption and its proceeds that the corrupt seized and smuggled after 2003." 
 
For his part, the Swiss Ambassador Daniel Hohn expressed his "appreciation for the efforts made by Iraq to advance and achieve development and the major reconstruction operations that the country is witnessing, and the real intention to curb corruption and prosecute its perpetrators," expressing "his country's readiness to cooperate and coordinate with counterparts in Iraq; to return the smuggled funds and assets."
 
 
It stressed that "the Swiss authorities are continuing to cooperate and coordinate and are working with the Iraqi authorities to return the smuggled funds," expressing his "thanks for the Iraqi side's understanding of the package of laws, procedures and documents before starting the recovery process." 
 
The Swiss ambassador praised "Iraq's efforts to advance and achieve development, explaining his country's readiness to cooperate in the recovery file."