In his press conference on Sunday, Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said the billionaire and two other accused have been identified as ‘corruptors on earth’ and as such will be executed.
Under Iran's Islamic Penal Code, a 'corruptor on/in the earth' is a person who contributes to spreading and expanding corruption on earth. Corruption is what leads to the decline, destruction and the deviation of society from its nature. The charge carries the death penalty.
According to Mohseni Ejei, in addition to execution, Zanjani and his two accomplices are sentenced to settle their debts to the plaintiff (National Iranian Oil Company) and pay as fines a quarter of their money laundering.
Zanjani was arrested on December 30, 2013 after 12 lawmakers accused him of corruption, calling for an inquiry into his financial activities in a letter to the heads of the three branches of the government.
The Iranian billionaire has also been charged with massive fraud at Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum, Social Security Organization and Bank Maskan (specializing in housing finance), money laundering and forgery.
Experts say the estimated net worth of his assets is around USD 13.8 billion.
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