Mohseni Ejei Expresses Concern Over Public 'Skepticism' Following Disclosure of Major Financial Corruption Cases

The head of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic acknowledged that the disclosure of financial corruption cases involving large sums, such as 'Dabesh Tea' and 'Mobarakeh Steel', has led to public skepticism in Iran, and there is a need to expedite the handling of these cases and provide 'information' about them. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei stated on Tuesday, May 14, that the prolonged handling of the Mobarakeh Steel case may not resolve what has 'settled' in the minds of the people with the ruling that the court will later issue. He also referred to the 'Dabesh Tea' case as another case that has 'occupied the minds of the people', adding that 'the figures involved in this case are significant'. He indicated that it might take two years for a final ruling on this case to be issued, stating that 'due to the prolonged process, we are suffering' and warned that 'the people are becoming skeptical.' Ahmad Tavakoli: In the Islamic Republic, the government and elites have been 'conquered' by corruption. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei expressed concern about the consequences of disclosing corruption cases, even as individuals close to the government have warned about the deepening roots of 'corruption' in the Islamic Republic. Ahmad Tavakoli, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, stated last December that corruption in the Islamic Republic has reached its final stage, where the government and elites are 'conquered' by corruption. He noted that initially, individuals succumb to corruption with 'fear and trembling', which later becomes 'systemic and networked and then legal', ultimately reaching a stage where the Islamic Republic currently finds itself. Discovery of 'bribery' documents in the Dabesh Tea case. The head of the judiciary announced on Tuesday the 'discovery' of new documents in the Dabesh Tea case related to 'forged seals'. He added: 'Other documents regarding this case were also discovered, indicating bribery payments. It should be clarified what actions were taken in response to these bribery payments.' Mohseni Ejei: The Raisi government has not introduced any corrupt officials in the tea import corruption case. The massive financial misconduct in tea imports, later known as the 'Dabesh Tea' case, was first disclosed by the General Inspection Organization last December, which reported the discovery of a 'two billion dollar' corruption in tea imports by a 'specific group', stating they received currency but did not import goods into Iran. The government of Ebrahim Raisi immediately claimed to have 'discovered' this 'financial corruption', and the special inspection of the president announced: 'In the tea case, the government discovered the corruption, dismissed the relevant managers up to the highest level, and referred the case to the judiciary for a ruling.' The spokesperson for Raisi's government also claimed that '60 government managers' were replaced in connection with this case. However, a few days later, Mohseni Ejei stated that the government had not yet introduced any corrupt officials in the tea import case to the judiciary. Meanwhile, he called for clarification on whether 'individuals in various ministries and possibly different periods were involved in this matter.' Months after the initial disclosure of this case, it remains unclear who has been accused in the indictment and whether the former Minister of Agriculture in Raisi's government, whose resignation some have said was due to this case, is among the accused. Since the beginning of 1403, revelations about 'land grabbing' by Kazem Sediqi, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, and his children, as well as the Tehran municipality's contract worth 'two billion euros' with a Chinese company without legal formalities and ambiguously for importing electric buses, have sparked widespread reactions.