IRANIAN COURT SENTENCES FOUR PEOPLE TO DEATH FOR BANK SCAM

An Iranian court has sentenced to death four people for involvement in a bank fraud case.The sentence came at the end of a trial of 39 suspects that started in February. The suspects embezzled a total of USD 2.6 billion.The case revolved around a private group that amassed trillions of rials in loans from half a dozen Iranian banks through what were said to be forged or illegally procured letters of credit to buy several state companies up for privatization. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Iran's Prosecutor-General and Judiciary Spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeii said the court also sentenced two people to life imprisonment and the remaining accused received 10, 20 and 25 years prison terms. Ejeii noted that a number of other suspects have received lighter sentences. The official further noted that in addition to the aforementioned decrees, the court has ordered the convicts to return the assets. Iran has so far arrested and tried tens of suspects over a $2.6 billion bank corruption which was described as Iran's biggest case of embezzlement ever. The embezzlement case started in 2007 by Amir Mansour Arya Investment Group of companies, headed by Amir Mansour Khosravi, founder of private Arya Bank, and progressed in 2010 after some Iranian major banks, including Bank Saderat and Bank Melli, issued loans for the company. Iranian officials said that the case involved the use of fraudulent documents to obtain credit for this investment company. The company used them to purchase assets such as state-owned companies. In June, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast called on Canada to repatriate fugitive banker Mohammad Reza Khavari - a main culprit in the bank scam - to Iran as soon as possible. Speaking to reporters at the time, Mehman-Parast said that Tehran has taken action through different channels to return the former Iranian Bank Melli chief, who fled from Iran to Canada during an embezzlement scandal, and has summoned Canada's charge d'affaires in Tehran to the same end. He said that the Iranian foreign ministry is in contact with the Canadian embassy in Tehran, while Iran's embassy in Ottawa has taken some necessary measures to arrange a meeting with Khavari to pave the ground for his return to Iran, but Khavari has refused to come to the session. He pointed to Khavari's dual Iranian-Canadian citizenship, and noted, "We do not recognize dual citizenship and the Canadian government is required to repatriate Khavari to Iran." Meantime, Iran's judiciary officials said that Interpol has placed the former Iranian banker on its Wanted list and issued the verdict to prosecute Khavari. Khavari, who has been a dual Iranian-Canadian citizen since 2005, left Iran in September 2011 as prosecutors in Tehran announced they wanted to question him in connection with a $2.6-billion embezzlement scandal.

[ED NOTES:I LOVE IT.ZERO TOLERANCE!CANADA HAND HIM OVER ALREADY,STOP HARBORING THE CRIMINAL.