ICBPS– The Islamic Judiciary system in Kurdistan province announced that a former municipal administrator had been arrested over corruption charges.

According to the reports, the Islamic judicial system expressed that it issued an arrest warrant for the official, the former supervisor in Saqqez municipality, and a broker in connection with top officials.

They were arrested for alleged charges of “embezzlement,” “bribery,” “damage or destruction of state property,” according to the judiciary.

The CEO of Mazandaran Gas Company was arrested on charges of “financial corruption” by the Islamic security agents, Mehr News reported on October 23.

Previously, seven members of the Saqqez City Council were reportedly suspended for alleged investigation over corruption.

Early September, the Islamic Judiciary office in Mazandaran announced that a former municipal administrator had been arrested over corruption charges.

In mid-September, the ICBPS was informed that the Islamic judiciary arrested 25 administrators and rural municipalities employees over corruption charges.

In another report in mid-September, the Islamic Attorney General in Bushehr announced that the City Council administrator had been arrested over corruption charges.

In late September, the Islamic Judiciary arrested a group of mayors in Iran over reported corruption charges. A group of mayors in Tehran province, including Lavasan, Shahriar, and Rudehen, were reportedly arrested on corruption, which was defined as bribery, forgery, fraud, and making counterfeit bills according to state-run media. In August, the judiciary department declared that it arrested five other municipality employees in Bushehr, southern Iran, and those for alleged bribery and embezzlement.

Speaking with reporters, the Attorney General Ali Hassanpour declared that the judiciary system issued an arrest warrant for an Iran City Council official over corruption charges and Abouzar Dehdar, Bushehr City Council supervisor.

• ICBPS MORNING BRIEF: Iranian Mayors Arrested For Corruption

Speaking with state-run media, on conditions of anonymity, a source declared that the judiciary system issued an arrest warrant for at least 25 individuals of rural municipalities in Shahr-e-Rey, Tehran province over corruption — defined in charges of bribery, forgery, fraud, and making counterfeit bill.

The arrests have been carried out in an alleged anti-corruption campaign, targeting only mid-level executives, not senior officials.

Iran Administrative Corruption

The experts, however, believe that the so-called anti-corruption campaign works as a political pressure against rivals and other parties. 

Some political figures and entities have also been accused of failing to return the high-value assets of the Mostazafan Foundation.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s top officials are the main source of economic problems in the country as the head of Mostazafan Foundation – in an interview with state-run TV in Aug – disclosed some aspects of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s institutionalized corruption.

Giant financial institutions, owning 60% of Iran’s national assets — under control of Mullah the Great Ali Khamenei — are tax-deducted.

Corruption Perceptions in Iran index has dropped as it’s the 146 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries, according to the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International.

Since the serious rights violater, Ebrahim Raisi was appointed as head of the country’s judiciary, the so-called anti-corruption campaign has continued its alleged mission to purify the Islamic regime and arrested hundreds of mid-level administrators, not top corrupt-officials. 

Raisi, known as the ‘Executor Ayatollah’ for his role in 1988 mass executions, followed in Larijani’s footsteps to annihilate his rivals.

Iran, however, ranks among the most corrupt countries. Iran’s Administrative Corruption has increased dramatically in recent years.

Iran slips in the Corruption Perception Index in 2019. The top spot is shared by New Zealand and Denmark, with 87 points each. In 2019, Western Europe and the EU are the highest-scoring regions with an average of 66/100, while Sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest scoring region with 32 points. Both regions have kept an unchanged average since 2018.

Iran slips in the Corruption Perception Index in 2019. The top spot is shared by New Zealand and Denmark, with 87 points each.

In 2019, Western Europe and the EU are the highest-scoring regions with an average of 66/100, while Sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest scoring region with 32 points. Both regions have kept an unchanged average since 2018.

According to the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International, Iran is the 146 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries.

There is a link between corruption and democracies’ health that Iran has never benefited in the past four decades.

The ICBPS team gathered the report.