Al-Shammari emigrated to Sweden in 2009 and became a citizen in 2015. His official address is still in the Stockholm suburb of Vårby. He was appointed as Iraqi Defense Minister in 2019.
Several Swedish media reported that Al-Shammari is currently listed as a Swedish resident under a false name, as Najah Al-Adeli.
The press secretary for Sweden’s defence minister confirmed that Al-Shammari is indeed a Swedish citizen. The Iraqi political coalition had denied this claim before he was appointed Minister of Defense. It is customary for top ministers in Iraq to renounce dual citizenships, which Al-Shammari did not do.
According to the Swedish newspapers Expressen and Aftonbladet, al-Shammari and his wife were reported for benefits fraud two weeks ago. They allegedly continued to claim payments years after returning to Iraq. It was also said that the politician previously received sick pay after arguing that he suffered from memory problems that left him unable to work. Expressen obtained a judgment from Civil Court that stated that the politician and his family had “for a long time been partly dependent on welfare support”.
Al-Shammari and his family reportedly returned to Sweden for a week each year in order to give the impression of still living in Scandinavia. Post is also sent to their Swedish address.
According to Expressen, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency is also investigating the matter.
