[New York Post] Amir Taheri - Abbas Palizdar, a member of the Iranian General Audit Office, was arrested by the secret police after claiming that "a mafia-style group of mullahs" is "plundering the country and sending the proceeds to foreign banks." He also said the same "mafia" had assassinated two prominent officials who had stood in its way. Palizdar claimed that former president Rafsanjani, a small building contractor before the mullahs seized power, controls more than 300 businesses, making him the richest man in Iran. Palizdar denounced many others, including Nasser Makarem-Shirazi, known to Iranians as "Sugar Ayatollah," since he controls sugar imports; Ayatollah Muhammad Yazdi, who is a silent partner in more than 100 businesses; and Ayatollah Abbas Va'ez-Tabassi, who heads the Imam Reza Foundation, Iran's largest business conglomerate.
2008-06-16 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive