Babak Zanjani Has Paid Only One-Fifth of His Debts to the Ministry of Oil

While reports indicate that Babak Zanjani, the imprisoned Iranian billionaire, has been sentenced to pay an amount of 1 billion 967 million 500 thousand euros, Asghar Hindi, head of the Ministry of Oil's debt collection committee, states that Zanjani has only paid one-fifth of his debts to the oil sector. Meanwhile, Zanjani's lawyer announced the possibility of clemency if the assets are returned. The Iranian Minister of Oil and his advisor have mentioned negotiations with Zanjani's foreign partners regarding his debts, while Zanjani's lawyer stated that these negotiations were supposed to remain confidential until the debts were settled. According to the state news agency IRNA, Bijan Zanganeh, the Minister of Oil, said on Saturday, February 26, that Zanjani's foreign partners have contacted the judiciary and intelligence services of the country, expressing their readiness to pay his debts, but no money has been received from them yet. Asghar Hindi, in an interview with ILNA news agency, said that Zanjani's foreign partners 'came to Iran and announced that they would pay his debts, but there is still no news.' He added, 'Considering the court ruling, 90% of Babak Zanjani's assets have been transferred to the Ministry of Oil, which covers one-fifth of his debt, and we are waiting to see what happens regarding the rest of the claims.' However, the Tasnim news agency quoted Mr. Hindi as saying that Zanjani's foreign partners would come to Tehran in the coming days to negotiate with the Islamic Republic officials about his debts. Meanwhile, Rasoul Koohpayehzadeh, Zanjani's lawyer, stated that the negotiations between Zanjani's partners and the Ministry of Oil officials were supposed to be confidential, but Mr. Hindi 'announced this news contrary to the negotiations' decisions. According to Koohpayehzadeh, the negotiations between the Islamic Republic officials and Zanjani's foreign partners took place in a foreign country, and it was agreed that these negotiations would remain confidential until Zanjani's debt of 1 billion 967 million 500 thousand euros was paid. The lawyer did not mention the country where these negotiations took place or the exact date of these negotiations. Regarding whether the payment of the sentenced amount would affect the execution of Babak Zanjani's sentence, he said: 'This issue will definitely have an impact on the ruling that has been confirmed by the Supreme Court, which states that in the case of asset return, one can benefit from Article 114 of the Islamic Penal Code. This article refers to clemency.' Previously, Babak Zanjani and his lawyer had stated that Zanjani's foreign partners were willing to pay his debt, but this debt has not been paid yet. Babak Zanjani is accused of receiving 'one million barrels of oil' from the Iranian Oil Company and having paid '160 million euros' of the 2 billion 700 million euros he was obligated to pay, using the rest for personal matters. Zanjani's debt to the Ministry of Oil had previously been reported to be around 8 trillion tomans, but Ministry officials believe that the damages resulting from this debt should also be paid. Meanwhile, the Minister of Oil announced on Saturday that Zanjani's debt, including interest, has reached about 3.5 billion dollars, equivalent to about 15 trillion tomans. According to Ministry officials, the ownership of Zanjani's assets in the country, valued at less than about 2 trillion tomans, has been transferred to the Ministry of Oil. The Supreme Court has confirmed Babak Zanjani's death sentence, but the death sentences issued for Mehdi Shams and Hamid Fallah Heravi, the second and third defendants in this case, were revoked, and the case was sent to a 'parallel' branch. Meanwhile, Mohammad Mogheiseh, head of Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, announced on November 6 that Mehdi Shams and Hamid Fallah Heravi have been sentenced to 20 years in prison and the return of assets in a new court. Iranian media refer to Mehdi Shams as a former shipping manager and Hamid Fallah Heravi as a former security personnel. Previously, officials in Hassan Rouhani's government, including Bijan Zanganeh, had stated that with the execution of Babak Zanjani, the 'black box' of the case would be destroyed, and the way to return the funds to the treasury would be closed. In the past December, Iranian officials announced the arrest of Alireza Zibahalat Monfared, one of the 'main agents' of Babak Zanjani's case outside Iran and his return to the country. The Iranian judiciary has not provided details about Alireza Zibahalat Monfared's role in Babak Zanjani's case, but some Iranian media have referred to him as the authorized signatory of 'Arzesh' Bank, one of the banks owned by Babak Zanjani.