The United States Department of Justice has filed for the seizure of a luxury property in Beverly Hills that is said to be connected to Kurdish Peshmerga General Mansour Barzani. In a civil complaint, US authorities accuse the son of KDP leader Masoud Barzani and other parties of running an extensive corruption and fraud scheme related to military contracts.
At the center of the allegations is a US defense contractor that, between 2016 and 2020, organized fuel deliveries to the US military as part of Operation Inherent Resolve against the terrorist organization “Islamic State” (IS). According to the complaint, the company allegedly gained access to contracts worth more than 700 million US dollars through a corrupt system.
According to US authorities, Mansour Barzani was bribed in exchange for exclusive supply rights. It is alleged that 0.25 US dollars were paid per liter of fuel delivered. In return, competing companies were denied access to Erbil Airport, which played a central role in logistics during the operation.
Investigators believe that significant sums from these dealings were transferred to Barzani. Part of the funds was allegedly moved through a trust established in the United States. Around 30 million US dollars were ultimately used to purchase and extensively renovate the Beverly Hills property.
The current case is a civil forfeiture action. Its aim is to seize assets that US authorities believe to be proceeds of illegal activities. There has been no criminal conviction against Barzani. The case is being investigated by multiple US agencies, including the FBI, military investigative services, and tax authorities. The judiciary considers the case part of a broader effort to combat international money laundering and corruption.
Leave a Reply