New Details Released on Embezzlement at 'Imam Port'; Suspect Has Fled with Two Million Dollars

Following the news of embezzlement discovered at the 'Imam Port' complex in Khuzestan province, the newspaper 'Etemad' reported details on the matter, stating that an employee with the initials 'A.A.' was responsible for issuing checks in the accounting department of the 'Imam Port' complex and withdrew an amount equivalent to two million dollars in 'digital currency' before fleeing the country. Etemad reported that this individual has escaped to a country that 'does not have specific cooperation with Iran for the return of financial criminals and major embezzlers.' According to Iranian media reports, Abotaleb Gerailoo, the director general of ports in Khuzestan province, stated that the two million dollar embezzlement was discovered in early Farvardin (March-April) and upon the judiciary's involvement, it became clear that the perpetrator had fled the country. The report mentions that this individual migrated to Canada during the Nowruz holidays, and their family had previously fled to Canada in the winter of the previous year. Reports indicate that the suspect's spouse was also employed in one of Iran's most important food industry companies in the 'Imam Special Economic Zone' and held a managerial position, having signed one of the largest private sector investment contracts in the country's ports for the production and export of sugar with the Ports and Maritime Organization in 2008. Recently, they have faced difficulties in paying their workers' wages. Yesterday, the public relations office of the General Directorate of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Khuzestan announced the discovery of a 'large embezzlement' by one of the financial staff of the 'Imam Port' complex. According to this organization, in coordination with judicial authorities, 'all individuals who had received funds through this person have been identified and their accounts have been frozen,' but the 'main suspect' has fled abroad. Earlier, on the 8th of Farvardin, the Persian section of Voice of America obtained documents indicating the loss of billions of dollars in currency and hundreds of kilograms of gold from Iran, revealing financial corruption, bribery, and disruption of Iran's economic system. According to existing documents, many of these cases were still under investigation and financial tracing as of 2022. Investigations by Voice of America show that some cases are facing financial allegations of around '20 million, 25 million, 30 million, 35 million' euros and dollars, which are documented as being in the 'financial tracing' stage. Financial corruption in Iran and the silence of state media regarding it have continued in recent years. Previously, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in 2011 emphasized that media should 'not prolong this issue' regarding a 3,000 billion tomans embezzlement case in Iranian banks. Ali Khamenei claimed that 'some want to exploit these incidents to hit the officials.' Earlier, the Persian section of Voice of America reported on a document obtained during a hack of the judiciary by the hacker group 'Ali Justice,' revealing a multi-million dollar financial corruption case involving public assets in the Khatam Corps of the Revolutionary Guards.