‘Iran to make example out of grifters’

A senior Iranian cleric has expressed regret over the recent banking scam case in the country, calling on the Judiciary for the prosecution of the perpetrators.

Hojjatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi said that authorities must punish the perpetrators with decisiveness and make an example out of them.

The Iranian cleric said that the Iranian nation does not deserve such a scam case after all the sacrifices they have made in the three decades since the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi highlighted the assurances made by Iran’s Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli to prosecute those involved in the economic corruption case, and called on Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei to closely pursue the case and inform the public every step of the way.

Tehran’s interim Friday Prayers leader urged authorities to prosecute and punish those involved in the embezzlement case “regardless of their [social] position and rank.”

“Corruption will definitely be curbed and the corrupt will be identified,” the cleric said. “Workers at economic centers are [like] members of our own families and are parts of our body but [there is no doubt that] we will sever the any limb that is corrupt,” Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi added.

Seven state-owned and private Iranian banks are said to be involved in a USD 2.8 billion-embezzlement case, which involved forging documents to secure multi-billion dollar loans and purchase state-owned companies.

Iran’s judiciary chief appointed Prosecutor General Mohseni-Ejei to investigate the financial scandal.

On September 18, Mohseni-Ejei announced that 19 people had been arrested in connection with the case. He said that necessary measures had been taken to prevent the criminals from leaving the country or transferring money to offshore accounts.