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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Rahim-Mashaei convicted of 'financial misconduct' |
| 2009-08-21 |
| An Iranian court has temporarily suspended a controversial presidential aide from work, over a case of financial misconduct, a report says. The Supreme Audit Court of Iran has convicted Esfandyar Rahim-Mashaei of a series of financial charges, sentencing him to two months suspension from his government post, the Jomhuriye Eslami daily reported on Thursday. The paper did not give further detail on the nature of the charges, but said they were in connection with the period that Rahim-Mashaei served as the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization. Jomhuriye Eslami also said that the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was trying to reverse the ruling. The daily said efforts were underway to change the verdict, although the deadline for overturning it has passed. Rahim-Mashaei turned into a controversial figure last year over a series of comments about friendship between the Iranian people and Israelis. Controversy was raised again in July this year when Ahmadinejad named him as Iran's new vice president. However, Rahim-Mashaei was forced to resign following an official decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and a wave of criticism from several political groups and parties. He currently serves as an advisor to the president. |
| Posted by:Fred |