Jahangiri: The Economic Corruption Headquarters is Pursuing the Case of Astronomical Properties

The First Vice President of Iran announced that the issue of the transfer of properties belonging to the Tehran Municipality, known as 'astronomical properties', is currently being pursued by the Economic Corruption Headquarters. According to ISNA news agency, Eshaq Jahangiri stated on Saturday, October 2, that the 'final action' regarding matters that have cases formed in this headquarters must be carried out by the judiciary. He expressed hope that the results of these actions would be communicated to the public at an appropriate time. According to an image released from a letter by the General Inspection Organization, the Tehran Municipality illegally sold 200 properties belonging to it at 'unrealistic' and 'very low' prices, with a '50 percent' discount and in '60-month' installments to some managers of this institution and other individuals close to the Mayor of Tehran. However, this organization announced on September 4 that the released letter 'does not constitute the final report of the organization'. The Attorney General had previously announced that a committee had been formed to investigate the transfer of properties by the Tehran Municipality, although no report from this committee has been published so far. Meanwhile, Yashar Soltani, the editor-in-chief of 'Memari News', the website that exposed the transfer of properties, was arrested on September 18 after visiting the prosecutor's office and remains in custody. On September 5, the Iranian judiciary also blocked two news agencies, Mowj and Borna, and several news websites, including Pouyesh, 9 Sobhe, and Persian Khodro, due to 'complaints in judicial authorities'. In this regard, Mohammad Mobin, the CEO of Borna news agency, reported that the Media Prosecutor cited the publication of statements by Gholamreza Ansari, a member of the Tehran City Council, about the transfer of municipal properties as the reason for blocking this news agency. Borna news agency was unblocked on September 10, but the other blocked websites remain inaccessible. Meanwhile, Ahmad Masjed-Jamei, a member of the Tehran City Council, accused the Iranian judiciary of 'dual treatment' regarding the transfer of municipal properties and stated on September 3 that websites that 'heavily accused the government under the pretext of salary slips' were not blocked, and the blocking of Memari News in public opinion would be interpreted as 'dual treatment of a problem'. Sadegh Larijani, the head of the Iranian judiciary, however, rejected the notion of 'dual treatment' by this institution regarding 'astronomical salaries and the Tehran Municipality case', stating that 'foreign counter-revolutionaries are constantly trying to imply that everyone in the Islamic Republic is corrupt and a thief'. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary, also stated on Sunday, September 17, that the judicial pursuit of some 'media figures' and the blocking of some websites related to the transfer of municipal properties was not the case. Previously, several members of the Iranian parliament had announced the introduction of a plan to investigate the transfer of properties by the Tehran Municipality, and in this regard, the spokesperson for the Parliament's Urban Development Commission also reported the receipt of an investigation case regarding the Tehran Municipality. In this context, there has been a confrontation in the City Council over the whistleblower of 'corruption' in the Tehran Municipality, criticism of Amoli Larijani against the media regarding the mayor, the Attorney General tasked with 'dealing with media violations' in the case of the transfer of municipal properties, and a letter from Ghalibaf to the Attorney General stating that the report on municipal violations is incomplete. The Inspection Organization reported that the Tehran Municipality sold 200 houses and apartments for 2 trillion tomans less than their original price. The case of 'astronomical houses' includes 'special 50 percent discounts' in the sale of municipal properties.