Financial Loss from Ahmadinejad's 'Mistakes' for Iran: 12 Trillion Tomans

Two days after a tweet from an Iranian parliament member about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's definitive financial condemnation of 12 trillion tomans by the country's Court of Audit, another parliament member confirmed this, describing the amount as 'resulting from the wrong decisions of the former President.' This member also announced that the total financial misconduct during the two terms of the previous presidency amounts to 48 trillion tomans. Behrouz Farhangi, a member of the board of the Transparency and Financial Discipline faction, attributed this financial misconduct to the mismanagement of the former government in executing certain projects. He stated on Wednesday, October 7, to ISNA news agency: 'This misconduct does not mean that the individual took money and embezzled it, but rather that mismanagement in various projects has caused financial harm to the country and public funds.' As an example of such mismanagement, he mentioned: 'For instance, the government built a bridge that should have a lifespan of ten years, but after two years, that bridge has collapsed, which is a damage and financial loss to the country.' Farhangi further added that based on the findings of the Court of Audit, 'the former government's mismanagement' has caused a financial loss of 48 trillion tomans to the country, of which 12 trillion tomans is due to 'the wrong decisions of the former President.' He cited 'mismanagement' in the Mehr Housing project as an example of financial loss to the country, explaining: 'For example, granting authority to a certain governor and carrying out actions has led to financial harm to the country, which the Court of Audit investigations show that the financial loss resulting from the former government's mismanagement amounts to 48 trillion tomans.' The board member emphasized that this faction will follow up on the details of this case through the Court of Audit. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also tweeted on the evening of Tuesday, October 5: 'According to reliable information, the former government has a definitive financial condemnation of 48 trillion tomans in the Court of Audit, of which 12 trillion relates to the former President.' In July of this year, Sadeghi also reported the formation of 'three cases' in the Court of Audit against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stating to the Etemad newspaper: 'Three cases have been formed in the Court of Audit regarding the former President, Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and a verdict has been issued, but it is not being executed.' Previously, in 2013, the last year of Ahmadinejad's presidency, the Court of Audit reported a 'misconduct of 9.2 billion dollars' by the government. The Court of Audit, which operates under the supervision of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, is responsible for monitoring and auditing the annual budget and financial processes in Iran. However, the rulings of the Court of Audit must be reviewed in courts, and the final ruling is issued by the judiciary. Iranian judicial officials have repeatedly stated that the President of the ninth and tenth governments of the Islamic Republic has multiple cases in this judiciary, where he is both a plaintiff in some and a defendant in others. The news released by Mahmoud Sadeghi coincided with a day when Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, confirmed his opposition to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections.