Iraq’s defence minister, Najah al-Shammari, has been reported for benefits fraud in Sweden after claiming child and housing support for years, despite living in Baghdad.
Al-Shammari, who is registered in Sweden with the surname Najah Al-Adeli, emigrated to Sweden in 2009, became a Swedish citizen in 2015, and is still officially registered as living in the Stockholm suburb of Vårby.
According to Sweden’s Expressen newspaper, al-Shammari and his wife were reported two weeks ago for benefits fraud after continuing to claim payments years after returning to Iraq.
According to the Aftonbladet newspaper, the 52-year-old has also previously received sick pay, claiming that memory problems left him unable to work.
A judgement in the Civil Courts obtained by Expressen stated that al-Shammari and his family had, “for a long time been partly dependent on welfare support”.
Al-Shammari is a former major general in the Iraqi Army, receiving a degree in military science in 1987.