Arin Masoud Barzani, the eldest son of Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), is accused of extorting $5 million from Haj Ahmed, the owner of the prominent Majidi Mall in Erbil (Hewlêr). Dr. Kamal Sayed Muhammad, in a Facebook post, claimed that the Barzani family has resorted to bullying and mafia-like tactics, forcefully extracting money from commercial business owners in the region.
This alleged extortion comes amidst reported financial pressures on the Barzani family following the loss of their oil revenues. According to Dr. Kamal, Arin Barzani sent emissaries to Haj Ahmed, demanding the transfer of $5 million into an account at a local Erbil bank. This amount was then reportedly transferred to Arin Masoud Barzani’s account abroad and subsequently to London via the State of Qatar.
The post highlighted the fear and intimidation faced by the business owner, who complied with the demand out of fear of assassination – a fate similar to the owner of the Lebanese village complex, who reportedly was killed for not complying with similar demands from the Barzani family.
