Principlist MP: People Have Become Destitute

Speaking on behalf of Parviz Soroori and Elias Naderan, MP Ahmad Tavakoli warned that he would be forced to file a complaint against Iran’s Central Bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani should the rentier relationships – where individuals receive undue profits for their investment - continue in the banks.

Tavakoli’s remarks, and the responses by the minister of economy Shamseddin Hosseini, which led to verbal exchanges between the two, were widely reported in Iran’s media. News sites close to the government reported that the MP had been satisfied with the explanations but Tavakoli said this at the end of his remarks: “The issue was not about being satisfied or not. We wanted to issue our warning.”

Even though Tavakoli did not mention the “deviant group” or even the “semi-private banks” that are closely associated with Mashai and Rahim, Kayhan newspaper which operates under the supervision of the country’s supreme leader had earlier named three banks, Arya, Gardeshgari and Tat to belong to “the deviant group”, i.e., individuals inside the government under attack by hardliners faithful to ayatollah Khamenei.

In addition to Kayhan, Ya-Altarat news site also had written a piece on the economic activities of the “deviant group” and had made references to rentier relationships in the banks affiliated to Mashai and Rahimi.

And last week after news reports proclaimed the week to have been the “record breaker in financial corruption in Iran,” Ayande website reported the arrest of “the principal owner of Arya Bank on charges of embezzlement from Saderat Bank.”

Ayande only referred to the suspect through initials A and K, but by naming the two companies owned by the person, Amir Mansur Investment Development Company and Meh-Afarin Company, both managed by Amir Khosravi, it was clear who the suspect was.

Ayande also wrote that the suspect was a close associate of a senior government official and affiliated with the deviant group who was also an accomplice in the Bimeh Iran insurance company in which Mohammad-Reza Rahim had been the first suspect.

Tavakoli’s Expose

These news reports and development resulted in MP Tavakoli’s heated questioning of the minister of economy in the Majlis. “At a time when we see signs of a recession in the economy why are some individuals positioned to receive permits to create a bank and financial cooperatives?” he asked, continuing, “The reason is that there is a major rentier relationship in the banks which exists because of the financial facilities of these institutions. This money that turns some people into wealthy investors, is in reality money that comes from the pockets of the deprived people. A newly created bank has amassed undue wealth by obtaining loans from Saderat Bank.”

According to Khabar Online, Tavakoli further said, “Last Spring I wrote you [the minister of economy] a letter and spoke of 84 illegal companies which had been created through the slogan of justice, which we know do not bring any justice. These rentier relationships spread injustice and cruelty. In the north of the country, these companies are tearing up people. People have become destitute. Even though you are not the person directly responsible for this, you are a member of the Finance and Credit Council and a member of the Central Bank’s board of directors, and so why have you not cried out against this and demanded the rights of the people? We cannot question the agencies and ministries under the direct supervision of the president but if this trend continues will have no choice but to file a law suit against the governor of the Central Bank. Such events should not take place in a government that claims to expand justice.”

In response to this, economy minister Hosseini said, “The issuance of cooperative permits are not within my authority. I have acted on my responsibilities in pursuing this issue and have tried to monitor the performance of these institutions based on law. With the help of the judiciary and the police we have dealt with some situations where influence has played a role. With the determination that exists in the Central Bank and the Finance and Credit Council, these crackdowns will continue.”

Source: Rooz Online