Judiciary on Salary Case: 'We Don't Just Deal with Small Thieves'

In response to the issue of 'astronomical salaries' in Iran, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the First Deputy of the Judiciary, praised the performance of this branch and announced the continuation of investigations into this case by the General Inspection Organization of the country. According to the Deputy and spokesperson of the Iranian Judiciary, it has been determined that 'in one specific ministry, 50 individuals receive more than 40 million tomans' in salary. The spokesperson also defended the Judiciary's actions in combating economic corruption, stating: 'In recent years, contrary to what was previously said, we are dealing with not just small thieves but also those in power; now you see actions being taken against the highest ranks, such as in the cases of Export Bank, National Bank, the 3,000 billion tomans corruption case, insurance, oil debts, and others.' Mr. Ejei, who was speaking on the special news program of IRIB on Wednesday, July 2, did not mention the name of this ministry. He reiterated the Supreme Leader's view on this matter, saying that 'perhaps the number of those receiving astronomical salaries is not large,' but 'no matter how many there are, it is unacceptable.' The spokesperson emphasized: 'For example, a monthly salary of 57 million tomans is simply not fair.' Just hours before Mr. Mohseni Ejei made these statements, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, had stated that although 'this issue is an exception and most managers are honest,' even 'this small number is very bad and must be dealt with.' The issue of receiving salaries and benefits ranging from millions to tens of millions in public and government institutions has recently turned into a scandal in Iran's political and media landscape. The government of Hassan Rouhani has promised to investigate this issue and has also announced that part of the money paid has been returned to the government. Media and conservative figures critical of the government have published numerous reports on what has become known in Iran as the 'astronomical salaries' issue. In contrast, government supporters have accused these media and individuals of 'politicking' and trying to pressure the Rouhani administration. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Judiciary has defended the media that exposed these cases. Mr. Ejei stated that 'some writers have said that the publication of these payslips is an attack on the government; I disagree with this.' The First Deputy of the Judiciary added: 'When someone receives only 57 million tomans in one month or receives a 300 million toman loan at a four percent interest rate, do not doubt that it is corrupting. Even if it is not direct corruption, which it is, it has various forms of corruption.'