DOHA (Qatar), April 19: Iraqi police arrested Saddam Hussein’s former finance minister — one of the 55 most-wanted members of the ex-regime — and turned him over to the US Marines, the Central Command said Saturday.

Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-Azzawi, who also served as a deputy prime minister, was apprehended on Friday in Baghdad, the Central Command said in a written statement. Al-Azzawi was named deputy prime minister in July 1999, and Arab diplomats said at the time the move signalled an attempt by Saddam to revive the nation’s economy.

The US military believes al-Azzawi can shed light on the inner workings of the Iraqi regime and where its wealth was hidden.

“One would think that the former finance minister would possess detailed information about where the regime had kept the people’s money,” said Capt. Stewart Upton, a spokesman at the command in Doha, Qatar. “It’s money for the people of Iraq, and we seek to have that for the building of the future of Iraq.”

Like other top officials, al-Azzawi likely will face questioning on the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein, his sons and other regime leaders. He is No. 45 on the list of the top 55 most-wanted people in Saddam’s regime. Upton said the arrest showed the screening process put in place by US military for hiring Iraqi police and getting them back on the streets was working well.

“The new police being hired are working for the people of Iraq. They are going after regime leaders,” he said.—APP