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Iran’s leader calls on judiciary to deal with embezzlers seriously, "cut hands of traitors"

04 October 2011 01:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday urged the judiciary to deal seriously with embezzlers, APA reports referring Xinhua.

Referring to the recent reports on embezzlement scandal in the country, Khamenei called on the country’s judiciary system to "cut the hands of the traitors," the report said.

Iranian media recently reported that several Iranian banks were swindled out of nearly 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in more than two years by holding a company named Amir Mansour Aria. This scam is said to be one of the biggest frauds in history of the Islamic Republic.

The reports said a man who owned the company took advantage of some governmental recommendations to purchase assets of some governmental companies, including an Iranian steel production company, Khuzestan Steel Company.

Iranian central bank governor Mahmoud Bahmani said that the man also attempted to establish a bank but failed.

On Monday, the Iranian leader said that he had warned about such corruptions in the country in the past years and if the officials had dealt seriously with the economic corruptions, "we never witnessed the issues like this recent bank scam today."

On Monday Mehr reported that eleven Iranian lawmakers have filed a lawsuit against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Bahmani over 2.6 billion dollars fraud.

They also called on Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani and the Majlis Presiding Board to take measures necessary to deal with the government officials who were involved in the case.

On Friday, the local media said that the former CEO of Iranian Melli Bank, Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, reportedly escaped to Canada after the embezzlement scandal, was discovered in the Islamic Republic.

Khavari resigned last week as he had come under pressure over the Melli Bank’s role in the embezzlement case. After his resignation, Khavari was reported to have left Iran for Canada.

Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Shamseddin Hosseini agreed with Khavari resignation as the reports show that a major part of the embezzlement was taken out from Melli Bank, said Mehr.

Acknowledging Melli Bank’s role in the financial scandal, Khavari said in his letter of resignation that while "the (Melli) bank which issued the documentary credits was at the heart of this scandal, however, there was also no doubt about Saderat Bank’s responsibility in the fraud."

Last Tuesday, the government’s special committee, which conducts some studies on the issue of embezzlement, sacked the CEO of Saderat Bank, Mohammad Jahromi, due to the bank’s failure to provide some monitoring tools and management.

The Iranian prosecutor general, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, who was assigned on Sept. 15 to exclusively investigate into the embezzlement case, said later that "If Khavari does not return to Iran, many accusations will be levelled against him."

On Sept. 19, Mohseni-Ejei was quoted by Mehr as saying that a number of suspects have been banned from leaving the country and some others, who intended to transfer their money and properties, were banned from financial transactions.

The prosecutor also criticized certain administration officials for trying to divert the public opinion from the case rather than apologizing to the people.

On Sept. 18, Iran’s Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said that " anybody in any position, involved in this corruption, cannot escape by making scenarios."

"Majils insists on immediate and just dealings with this scam and will try all those involved," he said.

Earlier, head of the Iranian General Inspection Organization, Mostafa Pourmohammdi, said in a report to the parliament that some governmental officials were involved in providing facilitation for the embezzlers.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have rejected the accusations against some of his administration officials.

"Certain people have launched a propaganda campaign and are trying to level accusations against the cleanest ever government," he said earlier, adding that they were accusing the government of helping thieves escape punishment.

In addition, the president called on the Judiciary to deal firmly with all people who have been involved in the fraud.

Local media said Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim- Mashaei, and some other entourages were involved in the scam.

The Iranian president also announced his government will start banking system reforms this year.

Mohseni-Ejei said last week that "So far 22 suspects in the recent financial corruption have been interrogated, and arrest warrants have been issued for all of them."

"A number of these people are being held in temporary detention, and some have been released on bail," Mohseni-Ejei said without revealing their names.