Criticism of 'Baqaei's Arrest Scenario'; Ahmadinejad: I Will Expose

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced in a letter that the 'unjust scenario' of the arrest of Hamid Baqaei was orchestrated by 'power and wealth gangs' and that he will fully expose this 'conspiracy' in the near future. The complete text of Ahmadinejad's letter was published on the government website on Tuesday, August 1, stating his intention to 'reveal the dark plot and ugly actions.' In his letter, Ahmadinejad did not name the 'power and wealth gangs' but claimed they were 'seeking to execute an unjust scenario' against some of his government officials by exploiting the situation. He referred to Baqaei's arrest by the judiciary as 'the first act of this scenario' and the 'illegal statements of the head of the Court of Audit and his entirely false accusations' as 'the second act of this scenario.' Ahmadinejad denied the statements of the head of the Court of Audit, asserting that these remarks constituted 'criminal dissemination of falsehoods intended to disturb public opinion' and were 'subject to legal prosecution.' He added that 'since our complaints regarding defamation and accusations have not been addressed in recent years,' he intends to disclose 'a complete account of the original incident and the unethical conspiracies designed.' Fiayaz Shojai, the head of the Court of Audit, stated in an interview published on Sunday, July 30, that Ahmadinejad has seven definitive and enforceable rulings against him in this court, five of which are related to oil. Shojai mentioned cases including the sale of oil by the police, the purchase of gasoline in exchange for crude oil sales, the Babak Zanjani case, a 16 billion tomans deposit to the Iranian University, and a 15 billion tomans case involving the Red Crescent Organization as part of Ahmadinejad's cases in this court. On July 5, Mohammad Reza Tabesh, a member of the Parliament's Program and Budget Commission, stated that according to the Court of Audit report, Ahmadinejad's government had a total of 26.8 trillion tomans in legal violations or delays in settlements from 2008 to 2012. According to the government website, Ahmadinejad viewed the statements of the head of the Court of Audit as aligned with Baqaei's arrest and reacted accordingly. Baqaei, who was released on bail from prison last week, harshly attacked the judiciary, calling its spokesperson Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i a 'liar' and wished for the downfall of his opponents. Baqaei, Ahmadinejad's former deputy, has financial cases against him. His eligibility in the recent presidential election was rejected by the Guardian Council. Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i responded to Baqaei's remarks, stating, 'It is not surprising that individuals accused of financial corruption want to change the course of the case through uproar. It is not unlikely that they want to exert pressure.' Eje'i added, 'They believe they have a position in society and want to test the waters with some statements and actions. Just as they tested the waters in the recent elections, it should not be given too much attention.' Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, and Hamid Baqaei have intensified their criticisms and attacks against various pillars of the Islamic Republic following their failure to enter the recent presidential election. After Baqaei's release, they have launched fierce attacks against the judiciary and other system pillars, with Ahmadinejad's letter being the latest of these attacks and threats of exposure. In this context, the Tehran prosecutor's office has opened a new legal case against Baqaei. Baqaei stated: 'We know that you will soon be overthrown.' Ahmadinejad accused the judiciary spokesperson of 'disturbing public opinion and disseminating falsehoods.' The Tehran prosecutor's office warned against 'any unprofessional comments' regarding Baqaei's case. Ahmadinejad protested against Baqaei's 'illegal' arrest, calling it a 'great injustice.'