By brandonwbarrios
Chaos, weak oversight allowed many who stole cash to dodge prosecution
Via the New York Times:
Investigators looking into corruption involving reconstruction in Iraq say they have opened more than 50 new cases in six months by scrutinizing large cash transactions- involving banks, land deals, loan payments, casinos and even plastic surgery- made by some of the Americans involved in the nearly $150 billion program.
A higher class of criminal- sophisticated and discreet.
Some of the cases involve people who are suspected of having mailed tens of thousands of dollars to themselves from Iraq, or of having stuffed the money into duffel bags and suitcases when leaving the country, the federal investigators said. In other cases, millions of dollars were moved through wire transfers. Suspects then used cash to buy BMW’s, Humvees and expensive jewelry, or to pay off enormous casino debts.
Not that any of this would surprise us. I suppose the bright side is that following Keynesian logic all this spending will boost the economy.