Ejei: Four Arrested in Case of Former CEO of Bank Mellat

The spokesperson for the judiciary announced the arrest of four individuals in the case of the former CEO of Bank Mellat and stated that other individuals are also being pursued "inside and outside the country" in connection with this case. According to Fars News Agency, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Sunday, August 3, "This case is related to financial matters, for example, they have received $125,000 for 16 sessions, which could be considered illegal compensation." Ejei also mentioned that the arrests are not solely due to the issue of salary slips. He did not provide further details about the accusations against these individuals. Media close to the Revolutionary Guards reported on Tuesday, July 29, that Ali Rastgar, the former CEO of Bank Mellat, who had resigned amid the salary slip issue of government managers, and his international deputy were arrested by the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence organization. One day after these statements, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, accused the detainees of being members of an economic "corruption network" that, according to him, also includes "some politicians." Rastgar's name has been mentioned in principlist media as one of the recipients of "unconventional salaries," and he had resigned from his position. Meanwhile, some principlist media have pointed out that Rastgar was born in Sarakhs, the birthplace of Hassan Rouhani, and have accused Hossein Fereydoun, the brother of the Iranian president, of playing a role in his promotion to the position of CEO of Bank Mellat. Previously, Nasser Saraj, the head of the General Inspection Organization, had also stated that Ali Sedghi, the dismissed CEO of Bank Refah, had been appointed to the position due to "pressure and lobbying" by Hossein Fereydoun, the special assistant to the president. Fereydoun and Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, have denied these claims. In recent months, principlist media and figures have repeatedly accused Hossein Fereydoun of economic corruption. One day before the arrest of the CEO of Bank Mellat, Ali Younesi, the special assistant to the president for ethnic and religious minorities, stated that the aim of publishing the salary slips of government managers was to "discredit" and "distract" the government and influence the upcoming presidential election. Majid Ansari, the Iranian vice president, also accused government opponents on July 19 of trying to "cover up or forget the huge legendary cases" of past financial corruption by "stirring up" the issue of the salary slips of managers. Previously, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, had reported on June 15 that there was a "think tank" formed with "political motivations" against the government that "determines what should happen every Saturday" in response to reports published against Rouhani's government, including "hundreds of millions of tomans" in salaries for several managers. The president and the speaker of the Iranian parliament had previously stated that the "weakness" of oversight bodies in this matter was "evident." Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary also said on Sunday that "all" oversight bodies, including the General Inspection Organization and security departments, had been negligent regarding the issue of salary slips. He emphasized that this issue "should not be subject to the passage of time" and called on the government, oversight bodies, inspections, and security departments to announce their reports on this matter and "keep the public informed." The spokesperson stressed that "these unconventional incomes must be returned as soon as possible." Hassan Rouhani, the president, and a committee selected by the first vice president and some government officials have stated that "unconventional payments are not limited to the executive branch." However, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, objected to these statements on Tuesday, July 28, saying that discussions about "unconventional salaries" should be "more precise" and that it should not be said that "all branches are complicit in this matter." In this context, the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence organization arrested the former CEO of Bank Mellat and his deputy.