First Court Session of the 'Dabesh Tea' Corruption Case Held in Tehran

The first court session regarding the 'Dabesh Tea' corruption case was held on Saturday, December 3, in the first branch of the Revolutionary Court, which specializes in major economic crimes. The $3.7 billion corruption in this case has made it one of the most controversial and unprecedented cases in Iran's economic history. According to Ali Salehi, the Tehran prosecutor, this case, along with its appendices, consists of 350 volumes and 70,000 pages. Reports indicate that out of the 61 defendants in this economic corruption case, 18 are related to the Dabesh group, while the others are managers from banks and the ministries of industry and agriculture. Earlier, Ali Salehi had announced that indictments had been issued for 63 defendants. According to the prosecutor's representative, some managers from the Export, Tourism, and Mellat banks are among the accused in this corruption case. The state news agency IRNA has identified the owner of the Dabesh group companies and the CEO of 'Dabesh Sabz Gostar' as the primary accused in this case, reporting that he has been in custody since November 30, 2023. Some media outlets refer to him as 'Akbar Rahimi.' This case was formed in late 2022, and according to Ali Salehi, the main charges include 'major disruption in the economic and currency system of the country, complicity in these charges, obtaining illicit wealth, and bribery.' One of the most important issues raised in the 613-page indictment relates to the allocated currency provided to the 'Dabesh Agricultural and Industrial Group.' Reports indicate that this business group either did not import any goods with the allocated currency or that the imported goods did not match the quantity, quality, and value of what should have been imported. Iranian media have reported an example of the violations by the 'Dabesh Agricultural and Industrial Group' under the brand 'Dabesh Tea,' stating that despite having tea plantations in African countries and registering orders for importing high-quality Indian tea, they were actually importing second-grade Kenyan tea to Iran. The price difference between these two types of tea is approximately $12 per kilo, which, given the large volume of imports, resulted in enormous profits for those involved in the Dabesh tea imports. Previously, the General Inspection Organization had announced that 'a group active in the tea sector received over $2.7 billion in currency at the semi-official rate for importing machinery and tea from 2019 to 2022 and spent a large portion of it elsewhere.' According to Zabihullah Khodayian, head of the General Inspection Organization, the 'Dabesh Agricultural and Industrial Group' also sold part of the received currency in the free market. Media reports have described the confirmation of the quality of the imported tea by standard organizations, customs, and the ministries of agriculture and health as indicative of the extensive dimensions of this organized corruption. The General Inspection Organization of the Islamic Republic previously noted that this corruption began during Hassan Rouhani's presidency and continued until mid-2023 under Ebrahim Raisi's government, stating that senior managers in the ministries of agriculture, health, industry, the central bank, customs, and the standard organization were involved in this matter. According to judicial officials, two former ministers have also been summoned and charged in connection with this case. Mohammad Javad Sadatinejad, the former Minister of Agriculture, and Reza Fatemi Amin, the current Minister of Industry, Mining, and Trade in the thirteenth government, are two ministers mentioned by the media as defendants in this case. Mohammad Javad Sadatinejad, whose name has emerged in at least two financial corruption cases, including the 'import of animal feed' and the 'Dabesh Tea' case, was dismissed from his position in May of this year. According to judicial officials, Reza Fatemi Amin was released on bail after being summoned and undergoing preliminary investigations. Some experts believe that in the Islamic Republic, regardless of who the head of government is, the organized corruption network and economic mafia in Iran continue their activities. In this regard, according to the website 'Jamaran,' Ali Arab Mazaar, an economist and faculty member at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, previously described corruption in Iran as 'widespread' and 'an obstacle to development,' stating that 'corruption in Iran is not limited to any specific faction; everyone is involved.' The names of the 63 individuals for whom indictments have been issued, according to the Tehran prosecutor's claims, have not been disclosed, and it is unclear whether any senior officials of the Islamic Republic are among them or if, as always, only employees and mid-level managers are identified as responsible for such large-scale corruption. Ali Alqasi Mehr, the head of the Tehran judiciary, has declared the court's ruling for the defendants in the 'Dabesh Tea' case to be final and enforceable, predicting that this ruling will be issued by the end of December. Experts believe that corruption in the Islamic Republic has become systematic and structural, with various governments acting as tools to advance the interests of extrajudicial groups and institutions. Accordingly, a review of the discovered corruption trends in Iran shows that all governments are implicated in the revealed economic corruption. The Tehran prosecutor announced the referral of the 'Dabesh Tea' corruption case to court; indictments have been issued for 63 individuals. Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i stated that the former Minister of Agriculture has been sentenced to three years in prison. Warnings about a 100,000 Toman dollar and 'systematic corruption' greater than Dabesh Tea. The head of the Organization of Trade Regulations stated that 'Dabesh Tea' products were not even suitable for animal consumption. Aftershocks of the billion-dollar 'Dabesh' corruption; the Ministry of Agriculture promised restrictions on tea imports.