Nearly two weeks after Iranian Parliament’s Audit Court announced that former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spent $1.3 billion of Iran’s oil income “illegally”, the deputy head of a conservatives’ faction has called for his expulsion from the influential Expediency Discernment Council, EDC.
Member of parliament Gholamali Jafarzadeh said om Tuesday, “As it is proven that Ahmadinejad has violated the law, he must be expelled from EDCS”, according to ILNA.
Earlier in October, Iranian parliament’s Audit Court had announced Ahmadinejad’s violations, ordering him to repay $1.3 billion.
The ruling accused Ahmadinejad that during his presidency from 2008 to 2013 oil revenues were unlawfully spent without being properly transferred from the oil ministry to the treasury.
Asked by ILNA what should be done with Ahmadinejad, who obviously cannot repay such an amount, Jafarzadeh responded, “As a rule, those responsible for such violations are condemned to lose their governmental positions. Therefore, Ahmadinejad should be expelled from EDC”.
After completing his eight years of presidency in 2013, Ahmadinejad was appointed as a member of EDC by Supreme Leader Ali Kahmenei’s decree, on the grounds of his “priceless efforts” during his presidency.
Commenting on that, Jafarzadeh said that when Khamenei appointed Ahmadinejad, the former president’s financial mishandling was not revealed. Nevertheless, at the moment, expelling him from EDC is necessary.
Notably, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Plan and Budget Commission Golamriza Tacgerdun revealed last week that mounting suspicions against Ahmadinejad are enough to take to court.
More so, Tacgerdun said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani had ignored the revealing reports which make a strong case against Ahmadinejad.
For his part, Ahmadinejad dismissed the charges and threatened to divulge a “cowardly scenario” by “bands of power and wealth”.
Moreover, he has alleged that a “cabal” is waging war against the leading officials of his administration.
