Iranian court delivers death sentence to Billionaire Babak Zanjani

Iranian court delivers death sentence to Billionaire Babak Zanjani. (TAZ)

An Iranian court has delivered a death sentence formerly issued for billionaire Babak Zanjani.

Zanjani’s lawyer Rasoul Koohpaye Zadeh said he received the sentence from Revolution Court Branch 15, ILNA news agency reported April 4.

“The delivery process has in fact begun today as the verdict comes in 318 pages and we should start taking notes, which takes time. When we are done taking notes, the verdict is considered as delivered, since which day we will have 20 days to plea,” the lawyer added.

A ruling announced March 6 convicted Zanjani and sentenced him to death, according to the Islamic juristic laws.

In December 2013, Iranian judiciary officials accused Zanjani of massive fraud at the Oil Ministry and money laundering. He has been kept in custody and attended court hearing sessions since then.

After sanctions were imposed against the National Iranian Oil Company, Iran had to partially export its oil through Zanjani's channels. Meanwhile, the ministry said Zanjani still owes more than two billion euros for the oil exports he handled on behalf of the former government.

An Iranian-Turkish wealthy businessman, Reza Zarab who is in the center of a major financial scandal in Turkey, revealed that his leader, billionaire Babak Zanjani, led a money laundering operation in Turkey.

Zanjani was involved in the sales of gold by Turkey to Iran, a case that has sparked an extensive investigation for corruption in Turkey.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported on January 3 that according to the information broadcast on the Turkish public television: "Reza Zarab has confirmed that Babak Zanjani was its director."

Babak Zanjani was arrested last week in Iran, as a consequence of a financial scandal in connection with the illegal activities of the mullahs in Turkey that has shaken that country.

According to a Turkish television, Zanjani and Zarab worked for transferring at least a planeload of gold bars from Istanbul airport to Dubai.

Persian language Ayandeh website reported on January 2 that "the latest information on the record indicates that the Iranian banking mafia has received a bribe of €4 billion for laundering operation" for a sum of $ 87 billion.

Related: US prosecutors charge Turkish 'Gold Trader' Zarrab at Heart of Turkey Graft Scandal.

Iran to send a delegation to Turkey to look into Zarrab, Zanjani links.

Iran to send a delegation to Turkey to look into Zarrab, Zanjani links.(HD).

Iran is to send a judicial delegation to Turkey in search of the overseas assets of arrested Iranian businessman, Babak Zanjani, an alleged partner of the Iranian-origin businessman and gold dealer, Reza Zarrab, who is the prime suspect in Turkey’s ongoing high-level graft probe.

Hossein Dehdashti, an Iranian parliamentarian, said Iran’s judiciary had dispatched teams to three countries - Turkey, Malaysia and Tajikistan - to determine the value of the overseas assets of Iranian billionaire Zanjani, who is accused of mass corruption.

Zanjani, the chairman of Sorinet Group, was arrested Dec. 31, 2013 following the call from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the Iranian authorities to speed up the investigation.

His name was also mentioned in Turkey’s graft probe in connection with Zarrab, who was charged with forming a ring that bribed officials to help disguise illegal gold sales to Iran via Halkbank, but was released.  

Experts say Zanjani’s estimated net worth is around 13.8 billion dollars. Besides his company in Iran, the 40-year-old Iranian businessman owns and operates many overseas holdings and companies in the finance, banking, tourism, infrastructure, construction, real estate and aviation sectors in Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Malaysia and China.


Zarrab, who was arrested during the Dec. 17, 2013 corruption investigation and released Feb. 28, 2014, might be summoned in Iran if it is proven that his alleged partnership with Zanjani has damaged the Iranian government, Iranian parliamentary member Mohammad Javad Kolivand told daily Hürriyet.

“Our financial and judicial experts will definitely investigate the details of the partnership between Zanjani and Zarrab. The final decision will be made by the judiciary,” Kolivand said.

At the moment, Iranian judiciary powers are trying to discover the specifics of the Zanjani case, he added.