Head of Iran's Court of Audit: 10 billion out of 23 billion tomans of astronomical salaries returned to the government

The head of the Court of Audit announced that 10 billion tomans out of 23 billion tomans of astronomical or 'unconventional' salaries paid to managers have been returned to the government, and the case for reclaiming the entire amount is being pursued. According to the state news agency IRNA, Adel Azar said on Tuesday, October 25, at a meeting of the 'Headquarters for Combating Economic Corruption' that 492 managers from all government agencies, including the three branches of government and public institutions, have 'committed violations' regarding these 'unconventional' salaries. Mr. Azar stated that 397 managers received a total of 23 billion tomans in 'unconventional' salaries, of which 10 billion tomans have been reclaimed so far, and the case for reclaiming the entire amount is ongoing. The Court of Audit is a supervisory body affiliated with the parliament that oversees the expenditure of the budget in government agencies. The head and prosecutor of the Court of Audit are elected by the votes of parliament representatives. On October 3, this court announced in a report in the parliament that in 2015, out of approximately 93,460 officials and managers in the country, 13,873 were high-ranking officials and managers, of which 397, equivalent to 0.4 percent, received monthly salaries and benefits exceeding 20 million tomans. According to this report, the salaries of the remaining government managers were below 20 million tomans. However, Nasser Saraj, head of the General Inspection Organization, stated on July 11 that 'only three percent' of the 950 managers whose cases were reviewed by the Court of Audit received salaries of 40 million tomans or more. According to Mr. Saraj, '70 percent' of these managers earn up to 20 million tomans and '27 percent' earn between 20 to 30 million tomans. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the spokesperson for Hassan Rouhani's government, had previously announced that only about 40 managers received 'unconventional' salaries. 'No danger threatens the Islamic Republic's system like corruption does.' At the meeting of the 'Headquarters for Combating Economic Corruption,' the first vice president of Iran also announced that the government supports the actions of the Court of Audit regarding 'unconventional' salaries and expects the report from this court to be completed 'as soon as possible' so that those who have committed violations can be referred to the judiciary. Eshaq Jahangiri said: 'No danger threatens the Islamic Republic of Iran like corruption does, and the enemies of this system are trying to undermine people's trust by exaggerating some violations.' Mr. Jahangiri also stated that the issue of 'astronomical properties' in the Tehran municipality has caused public 'discontent.' He called for the General Inspection Organization, the Ministry of Interior, and the secretariat of the Headquarters for Combating Economic Corruption to conduct serious follow-up and investigation after completing the report of the Attorney General regarding this case, so that if a violation has indeed occurred, action can be taken against the violators. On October 1, Mr. Jahangiri had also reported that the issue of the transfer of properties known as 'astronomical properties' in the Tehran municipality is 'under investigation' by the Headquarters for Combating Economic Corruption. According to an image published from a letter by the General Inspection Organization on the 'Architecture News' website and some other media, the Tehran municipality sold 200 properties belonging to this municipality 'at unrealistically low prices' with a '50 percent' discount and in '60-month' installments to some managers of this institution and other individuals affiliated with or close to the mayor of Tehran. However, this organization announced on September 4 that the published letter 'does not constitute the final report of the organization.' Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General, announced on September 5 that a committee has been formed to investigate the issue of the transfer of properties of the Tehran municipality, although no report on the actions of this committee has been published so far. However, Yashar Soltani, the editor-in-chief of 'Architecture News,' the website that exposed the transfer of properties of the Tehran municipality, was arrested on September 18 after visiting the prosecutor's office and remains in custody. Following reports about the transfer of properties of the Tehran municipality, Rahmatollah Hafezi, a member of the Tehran City Council, recently reported that 49,608 square meters of land in Region 22 of Tehran was transferred at a price of 149,000 tomans per square meter to a charity institution, of which Zahra Sadeh Mosheer, the wife of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the mayor of Tehran, is a member of the board of trustees. A report from the Shargh newspaper on October 1 also indicated that the municipality had provided 'several tens of billions of tomans' in assistance to this institution in recent years. In advertisements for land sales in Region 22 of Tehran, each square meter that can be built on is sold for more than three million tomans. However, the Tehran municipality stated that this land was transferred 'at the current expert rate' and that the assets of this institution belong to no individual or legal entity and are 'completely public endowment.' In this context, Nobakht stated that most of the unconventional salaries are related to the private sector. 'Violations in salary slips' have been added to the disqualification factors for candidates in elections in Iran. The case of 'astronomical houses'; 'special 50 percent discounts' in the sale of properties of the Tehran municipality. 25 members of the Iranian parliament have called for the introduction of managers receiving 'astronomical salaries' to the judiciary. Jahangiri: The Headquarters for Combating Economic Corruption is pursuing the case of astronomical properties. 40 student organizations have called for the release of Yashar Soltani and an investigation into the municipality.