Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.11
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani, who had been involved in Iran's oil sales to bypass the imposed western sanctions on the country, has just paid €65 million of his €2 billion debt to the Oil Ministry.
National Iranian Oil Company managing director Roknoddin Javadi denied reports claiming that Zanjani has paid €600 million of his debt to the Oil Ministry,Iran's Shana news agency reported on Aug. 11.
In an interview with the ISNA News Agency in August 2013, Zanjani said that he has helped transfer €17.5 billion of the Iranian banks' capital from outside the country to domestic bank accounts with a 0.007 percent interest.
Zanjani is the owner or shareholder of at least 70 companies and banks, including Bank Arzesh in Tajikistan and First Islamic Bank.
Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on March 12 that Zanjani owes 1.1 million rials (about $45) to every Iranian, IRNA reported on March 12.
In September 2013, Zanganeh said that Zanjani claims the Americans blocked his bank account so he is not able to transfer the money to the Iranian government.
Zanjani had said that the money was in the bank account of a Hong Kong-based company which is a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, adding that, "transferring the money to Iran is not my concern".
Edited by CN