Iran's constitution authorizes thecountry's parliament to conduct investigations and, based on thisright, several Iranian parliamentary deputies in 2004 requested a probeof alleged corruption by Iran's judiciary. Investigators working forthe parliament's Judicial Inquiry and Review Committee, many of themdeputies themselves, subsequently reported a variety of corruptpractices.
According to the report, these range from cases ofjudicial officials conspiring with convicted drug dealers who receivedreduced jail sentences or were allowed to escape custody, to instancesof apparent profiteering by judicial officials who collaborated withprivate businesses for personal gain.
Among the cases cited inthe extensive report: justice officials appeared to have turned a blindeye to a problem-plagued construction project through the mountainsnorth of the Iranian capital, Tehran --- an expansion of the Kandovantunnel that was originally built 70 years ago. The report notesconstruction took 10 years and came in way over budget. The reportsays there were no legal consequences.
In another scandal,the report cites the case of Almakaseb, a large state-run tradingcompany headed by Vaez Tabasi, son of one of Iran's most importantreligious leaders. The company was partially privatized seven years agoin a process that the report says was not transparent and that $100million went unaccounted for. Several courts heard cases related tothe financial losses, but the company and its officials were notpenalized.
The Parliamentary probe also found judges wereallowed to purchase new Iranian Khodro automobiles at the reduced ratesnormally charged for vehicles that came off the assembly lines withdefects. The auto manufacturer then allowed the sub-standard cars tobe sold to the public at full, new car prices.
In anothercase, the report says a drug dealer named Ali Azadi was arrested with95 kilograms of opium and 40 kilos of morphine in his possession. Hewas convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but after two yearswas granted a short prison furlough and never returned. Judiciaryofficials did not inform the police of his escape. Six months laterthe dealer was arrested again, according to the report, and this timewith 300 kilograms of opium.
The report even documents suchproblems as the sale of university entrance exam questions, a practicethat allowed unqualified students to secure coveted universityadmission slots. The report found that none of those identified asperpetrators ever faced punishment. In one instance, a judge ruledthat the exam questions that were sold were fake, thereby allowing asuspect to go free.
The names of top Iranian political andreligious leaders allegedly linked to corruption are not mentioned inthe report obtained by VOA, which Iranian sources say appears to havebeen heavily edited to protect reputations.
However, AbbasPalizdar, who has been identified in state-controlled Iranian media asa key investigator for the parliamentary probe, discussed the findingsin speeches at Iranian universities earlier this year. He assertedthat some of the country's top leaders were implicated.
Thosementioned by Palizdar include Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, amember of the powerful Council of Guardians; Hojatoleslam Ali AkbarNategh Noori, head of special investigations in the office of Iran'ssupreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; former Iranian PresidentAyatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani; Mohammad Rafighdoost, former headof the Islamic Revolutionary Guards; and former intelligence ministerHojatoleslam Ali Fallahian.
Palizdar was detained in Juneafter speaking out and has not been heard from since. Some members ofthe investigative committee have denied knowing him even thoughstate-controlled Iranian news organizations have confirmed his officialinvolvement in the probe.
Palizdar had previously beenidentified publicly as a supporter of Iranian President MahmoudAhmadinejad. Mr. Ahmadinejad had in the past threatened to exposeofficials involved in corruption.
But Western experts on Iraninterpreted this as a challenge to conservative backers of supremeleader Khamenei, and before Palizdar's allegations could spread, he andseveral associates were arrested and the parliamentary reportsuppressed.
Palizdar had claimed those who were corrupt were protected by the head of Iran's Judicial Branch.
Thereport says Judiciary officials did not respond to the requests of thecommittee, ignoring most of the 300 questions the panel submitted.
AyatollahSeyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, the head of the Judiciary since 1999,wrote a letter to the Investigative Committee, claiming securityofficials within the Judiciary did not have to answer to parliament.