Most Iranians say huge fraud is government's fault

13:55 - 12 December 2011
Kurdpa - Iran\'s Auditor General says 75 percent of the people hold the government responsible for the recent $3-billion bank fraud.

ISNA reports that Auditor General Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi spoke at a conference for the \"Prevention and Fight against Corruption,\" saying: \"In the latest census by the Auditor General\'s office, 98 percent are following the latest financial corruption case and over 70 percent are aware of the details of this case.\"

Although 75 percent of Iranians hold the government responsible, he said that 16 percent put the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the judiciary.

The $3-billion dollar bank fraud, exposed in the media last August, has been a hot topic in Iran, with the judiciary recently announcing that two of the suspects are looking at the death penalty. The fraud involved eight Iranian banks, including the two major banks of Saderat and Melli.

The head of the Bank of Saderat was fired, while the head of the Melli Bank resigned and fled the country the next day.

The case involves the sale of $3 billion dollars worth of false letters of credit to the banks. Some have even accused some Members of Parliament of being involved in the fraud, while others have accused the president\'s chief of staff.

Source: Radio Zamaneh