Ministry of Intelligence Denies News of Private Bank CEO's 'Escape'

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence dismissed statements circulating in 'virtual space and social media' attributed to Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of Intelligence, regarding the 'exit of the CEO of a private bank from the country' as 'absolute falsehood.' Hassan Mo'tamedi, the CEO of Bank Eqtesad Novin, also described the reports about his 'escape' from Iran as 'complete lies.' According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the Ministry of Intelligence announced on Wednesday evening, January 8, that 'recently, some individuals in virtual space and social media, with objectives that the Ministry of Intelligence has sufficient oversight over, are attempting to confuse public opinion.' The ministry further stated that the quotes attributed to Mahmoud Alavi regarding the 'exit of the CEO of a private bank from the country' are 'absolute falsehood.' The Ministry of Intelligence emphasized its duty to 'harshly' confront the disseminators of these rumors, which it claims aim to disrupt public order and national security. The ministry did not mention the name of the CEO of the private bank from which news of his exit from Iran was reported. Meanwhile, Hassan Mo'tamedi, on Thursday, January 9, reiterated that the reports about his escape from Iran are 'complete lies.' In an interview with the Islamic Republic's Central News Unit, he stated, 'It seems the enemy has targeted the banking system, and one of the focal points of sanctions is the country's banking system.' He added, 'Although this rumor is short-lived and has little effect, the enemy carries out these actions to discredit us.' Mr. Mo'tamedi also clarified in an interview with Fars News Agency that 'unfortunately, the source of this fake news has not been identified, but at the end of that news, which advises the audience to withdraw their deposits from Bank Eqtesad Novin, it becomes clear what the intent of the disseminators of this news is.' In recent days, news about the 'escape of Hassan Mo'tamedi, the CEO of Bank Eqtesad Novin, Alireza Pouyan Shad, the Deputy of Retail Banking, and Ali Hosseini, the Manager of Branch Affairs of this bank' has circulated on various social media platforms, including Facebook. These reports did not mention the reason for the 'escape' of these three individuals and urged account holders at the bank to withdraw their funds. Hassan Mo'tamedi was appointed as the CEO of Bank Eqtesad Novin in 2013, having previously served as the deputy of this bank. Bank Eqtesad Novin was established in 2001 as the first private bank in Iran by Mohammad Sadr Hashemi Nejad. In the fiscal year 2012, it was recognized as the tenth largest bank in Iran based on revenue, with earnings exceeding 3.5 trillion tomans. In July 2012, the Ministry of Home Affairs of India opposed the request of this bank and Parsian and Pasargad banks to open branches in India due to concerns about 'money laundering threats and financing terrorism.' In contrast, the Ministry of Economy of India called for a review of this decision.