Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s faction seeks to attribute the widespread poverty, inequality, class divide, bankruptcy, and current economic misery to the actions of the Rouhani government, thereby relieving Khamenei of these tragic burdens.
The state-run daily Javan on July 7, 2021, in an article entitled ‘Looting the spoils in the 90th minute’ and wrote: “These days, we hear numerous and, of course, disturbing news about the latest efforts of some managers of the twelfth government to take advantage of the facilities entrusted to them by the people and, of course, the people will soon withdraw from them; From approving astronomical rewards and gifts to paying the last installments of large contracts with some media.”
But the fact is that the current economic bankruptcy and its catastrophic situation is not only due to the performance of a government or a faction but to the performance of the integrity of the government, headed by Khamenei and the looting institutions affiliated with his family.
As Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf at the time as mayor of Tehran gifted “hidden and unknown” estates to some IRGC commanders.
Referring to this event, the state-run daily Arman in an article with the title ‘Two thousand astronomical estates has been gifted” wrote:
“There are hidden and unknown properties and what has been identified in more than 2,000 cases of transfers to individuals and legal entities, often without a contract, some in the form of so-called astronomical properties and some in other ways and removed from the list or territory of municipal properties.
“The method of transferring various properties to Imam Reza (AS) Charity was such that first a few plots of land with an area of about 70,000 square meters were transferred to the Tehran Municipality Investment Organization in the form of internal transfer and then the Investment Organization, although only authorized in order to conclude a partnership contract and not a sale, handed over the property to Imam Reza (AS) Charity, which belonged to the elected officials of the municipal, without receiving any real price.
“Also, according to the report the Real Estate Organization, the Real Estate Organization has donated 159 billion Tomans in cash and non-cash through the Municipality of District 22 and the Real Estate Organization and 11 shops in Karim Khan Diamond Passage through the World Brokerage in exchange for the transfer remittance through the Real Estate Organization.” (Arman, July 14, 2021)
Although Ghalibaf’s corruption became widespread in the media, since he served Khamenei well in assassinating and killing people during various periods of his rule, especially during the uprisings of 1999 and 2009, he has not been investigated at all by the judiciary, now headed by Mohsen Eje’i.
The issue of investigating this corruption was also raised in the parliament, but its investigation plan was not approved and its case was dropped.
One of these cases was the payment of 65 billion tomans in bribes to a member of the Civil Commission of the parliament, which Mostafa Mirsalim exposed member of Khamenei’s faction.
Then the state-run daily Etemad about the blow of the economic mafia on the country’s economy wrote: “What is less talked about is the damage and catastrophic suspicious errors, that is, the question of the interests of the mafia. Now the Iranian economy is held hostage to their interests, and the people, the producers, the government, and the future of Iran’s development are being hurt by this mafia. We are facing the phenomenon of the conquest of the power structure by spongers, brokers, and corrupt people.” (Etemad, July 14, 2021)
Then Abdol Nasser Hemati one of the presidential candidates confessed about this mafia in an interview with the State-TV News Channel on June 13, 2021, and said:
“We have the import mafia, we have the smuggling mafia, we have the domestic distribution mafia, thank God, we have it in all areas. This difference between the free currency and the 4,200 currency itself expanded the import mafia. Now we call it the Mafia. I say those who are looking for rent-seeking are looking to take advantage of this situation.”
The reality of political and economic corruption in the Velayat-e-Faqih system (system of clerical rule) is so obvious that it has been repeatedly acknowledged and warned by state media.
The Hamdeli daily on July 13, 2021, wrote: “Economic and political corruption has hit the Islamic Republic like termites.”
