Iran: Instances of Systematic Corruption

—Three board members of the Iran Commerce Chamber have paid a 28-billion-rial down payment and 1.94-billion-rial rent of their personal homes from the chamber’s budget said the Tehran Commerce Chamber’s former chief.

—Nineteen million dollars were missed amidst Airbus purchasing in 2019.

—An Exporter refuses to return $180 million to the Central Bank.

—State-backed mafia hoards the wheat, distributing flour full of lice among bakeries.

For over four decades, the mullahs of the Iranian regime have built up their state on corruption, embezzlement, bribery, and plundering policies. The people of Iran, however, are the foremost and sole victims of this dark era.

Citizens, who have lost their assets and property due to the regime’s misdeeds, have been chanting, “Financial criminals should be punished,” during their recent protests.

The Iran Commerce Chamber Managers Line Their Pockets with National Capital

On May 30, Mohammad Reza Behzadian, the former chief of the Tehran Commerce Chamber, revealed the latest aspects of the systematic corruption in Iran. He said, “Three members of the Iran Commerce Chamber’s managing board have paid a down payment worth 28 billion rials [$112,000] at the expense of the chamber. They also paid 1.94 billion rials [$7,760] as home rents.”

He continued, “They have invented ‘other reasons’ titles to keep you in the dark. ‘What does mean others?’ we asked. At the same session, they said, ‘We do not know, and undoubtedly, there was a ruling for a necessary task. We gave it to a police officer to implement a rule.’ How much is this other, Mr. Policeman? A gift of 5 billion rials was paid in the meetings of the Tehran Commerce Chamber. Several members did abnormal acts during the chamber’s election. The Iran Commerce Chamber managed the election through fraudulent tricks. One person elected 40 members of the chamber. Afterward, Mr. Sharifi Nik-Nafs was identified as the culprit and fled.”

Behzadian added, “Members of the chamber’s managing board exploited 130 seats for their personal interests. Forty thousand members of representative delegations are presided by a boss… The chamber members refuse to deliver their financial receipts because they knew they were violating the law. Meanwhile, seven members of the managing board and representative members have a commander… The chamber also denied providing an estimation of sanctions harm to the private sector.”

“19-Million-Dollar Embezzlement,” State Media Titles

The Iranian state media have revealed that around $19 million was missed during the purchase of three airbuses in 2019. Following the Iran 2015 nuclear deal, the international community created a corridor for Tehran to renew its aviation flotilla. However, this paved another path for the corrupt government in Iran to exploit this opportunity and line its pocket.

On June 8, the Jahan-e Sanat daily wrote, “In early 2019, three A-319 airbuses were added to the Homa aviation flotilla. In this context, a $44,366,251 deal was conducted between the Islamic Republic of Iran’s aviation office and the Tehran flight office. At the time, a three-member delegation comprised of aero industry experts estimated the planes’ prices at $3.15, $3.15, and $3.17 million.”

The daily added that they had, “recently obtained documents and evidence two years later, showing the delegation had totally estimated $5.8 million… Therefore, there is an $18,866,251 disadvantage. In 2019, one of the delegation’s members declared the airplane was worth $15 million. However, he estimated the same plane’s price as $5.8 million in 2020, which is irrational due to the growing inflation rate.”

An Exporter Refused to Return $180 Million

In a televised interview, Jamshid Nafar, the Iran Commerce Chamber’s former chief, revealed that “an exporter refused to return $180 million of his commitments.”

He said, “We gave his name to the Judiciary. Judicial officials summoned him from Mashhad, northeastern Iran, to explain his business. ‘I’ll come there, but you should pay my fair,’ he said to officials. Is it proper for him to say this? He had received 1.8 billion rials if he even paid 10 rials for each dollar, let alone the dollars were traded at 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 rials.”

Notably, the dollar exchange against the rial has sharply increased since Ebrahim Raisi took office in August 2020. On June 13, state-run media reported that the rial had experienced another nosedive devaluation, with each U.S. dollar now trading at 333,000 rials.

Nafar questioned, “Didn’t the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) know? Didn’t our Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) know? Why did they not prevent [this embezzlement]?”, pointing to the systematic corruption that has engulfed the entire ruling system.

State-Backed Mafia Hoards Wheat

In a video circulated on social media in October 2021, a baker shows lice in a handful of flour. He said, “It does not clear where did [officials] hide this. We received them yesterday. Look at the lice. Now, we have to sift it and bake bread for the people.”