Arrest of Three Managers of Offshore Oil Company Due to 200 Million Euro Misconduct

The Deputy for Combating Major Economic Corruption of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence announced the arrest of three managers from the Offshore Oil Company, who allegedly committed over 200 million euros in financial misconduct in 2012 by holding a 'limited tender' and 'violating public rights.' According to ISNA news agency, this unnamed deputy reported on Saturday, January 8, that the three 'offending' managers were recently arrested for causing 'violations of public rights' through limited tendering. He also mentioned the arrest of four 'non-governmental agents involved' in this case, stating that the 'initial estimate of the financial misconduct of the accused amounts to over two hundred million euros.' The deputy did not provide details on the date of the arrests or further specifics about the case. Several news websites had reported on January 1 that three managers from the Offshore Oil Company had been arrested due to 'financial issues.' Previously, following the arrest of Babak Zanjani, several oil ministry managers had also been detained in connection with this case. Reports indicate that the Offshore Oil Company of Iran, with an average production of 600,000 barrels per day, is the second-largest oil producer in Iran after the National Iranian South Oil Company. In another part of his speech, the deputy mentioned that this year, 2,740 hectares of land valued at 13 trillion tomans have been returned to the government, and over 40,000 hectares of land worth several hundred billion tomans were reclaimed from land grabbers in 2013 and 2014. He also announced the arrest of 10 individuals who allegedly 'illegally seized 72 hectares of valuable state land' in Shahriar through actions such as document forgery and bribery. The deputy emphasized that the seizure of natural resources land has become 'a growing phenomenon in Tehran and some provinces' in recent years. Iranian government and judicial officials have repeatedly stressed the fight against 'land grabbing,' and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, strongly criticized 'land and mountain grabbing' in Iran in March 2015. This is despite the fact that some of the institutions under his oversight are accused of being involved in this phenomenon. For instance, in September 2014, Mohammad Ali Pourmokhtar, head of the Article 90 Commission of Parliament, stated that 'the Organization of Endowments and Charity Affairs has become a major land grabber.' Ezzatollah Khan Mohammadi, the governor of Shemiranat, also stated on June 1 that 814 hectares of land had been seized by armed forces, surrounded by barbed wire. In recent months, a land grabbing case in the Qeshm Free Zone has been raised, with reports indicating that Reza Mousavi and Esfandiar Heydaripour, two former CEOs of the zone, have been arrested in this regard. Additionally, a major land grabbing case in the 'Heyran Pass' in Gilan province has made headlines, with Kamaleddin Pir-Mo’men, a representative from Ardabil, and Safar Naeimi-Raz, a representative from Astara, accusing each other of involvement in this land grabbing.