Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep.2/ Trend, R. Zamanov
The ownership of over one million hectares of land was illegally transferred to some certain people, Ezatollah Yousefian, a member of Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Planning and Budget Commission, said on Monday.
"Some hidden hands are resisting a fight against illegal land grabbing," the ICANA News Agency quoted Yousefian as saying.
"Ordinary people without political connections cannot get even one meter of land, he said adding that certain people have become rich in a short time by illegally grabbing state-owned lands.
The illegal actions of Iran's previous administration have brought harsh criticism from the country's officials.
Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi, Member of Majlis (Iranian Parliament) Economic Commission said on September 1 that some 17.8 trillion rials ($556.2 million based on the rate of USD at the free market) of National Iranian Copper Industries Company's revenues has been transferred to some personal accounts in foreign banks during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
"With the help of Iran's Judiciary and the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran some portion of the mentioned figure was returned to the company," Pour-Ebrahimi said.
"The mentioned figure is just an estimation of the company's foreign revenues," he added.
The Former Managing Director of National Iranian Copper Industries Company Nematollah Poustindouz which is accused of embezzlement was arrested on the Iran-Armenia border, Roozonline portal reported last week.
According to the report, he was carrying a significant amount of money when arrested.
The Iranian court had banned his exit from Iran, he tried to escape to Armenia.
Poustindouz who is considered to be an ally of Iran's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also served as Managing Director of Saipa Auto Manufacturing Company during Ahmadinejad`s presidency.
Previously, some Iranian MPs asked legal investigation about National Iranian Copper Industries Company's financial activity, the report said.
Poustindouz was one of the funders of Ahmadinejad`s presidential campaign in 2009, the report said.
Ahmadinejad transferred Poustindouz from Saipa Auto Manufacturing Company to National Iranian Copper Industries Company after MPs pressure.
He has been accused of $4 billion embezzlement during his management in Saipa, the report said.