Alireza Jamshidi

TEHRAN, Dec. 25--Four former senior state officials have been convicted of financial corruption, said Judiciary Spokesman Alireza Jamshidi.
Speaking in his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Jamshidi did not name the officials but added that they include the ex-manager for legal affairs of Oil Ministry’s contracts, former deputy of Bank Mellat, ex-head of Sales Department of Iran Khodro Auto Manufacturing Company and former director general of Iran’s Customs for international affairs, IRNA reported.
He said the Oil Ministry’s official was jailed for four years and also fined $595,000 as well as one billion rials on charges of receiving bribes and commissions in oil contracts.
Jamshidi added that the judge also convicted the former deputy of Bank Mellat to five years in prison, discharged from governmental posts and fined 44 million rials on bribery and embezzlement charges.
“The ex-head of Sales Department of Iran Khodro Auto Manufacturing Company was also sentenced to eight months in prison, discharged from governmental posts and fined 100 million rials on similar charges,“ he said.
The spokesman noted that the former Iran’s Customs official has also been jailed, but did not say for how long. He added that the official was fined 230 million rials and discharged from governmental posts.
Jamshidi did not mention the period during which the four convicted ex-officials held office.
The spokesman was also questioned about the case of former Iranian nuclear negotiator, Hossein Mousavian, who has been charged with delivering a document to the British Embassy in relation to Iran’s nuclear talks with European states.
“It is among the responsibilities of the judge hearing the Mousavian case to decide whether to hold an open court session or not,“ he said.
Last Wednesday, in response to press reports that Mousavian was cleared of the charge, Justice Minister Gholamhossein Elham said Mousavian has not been acquitted yet.

TEHRAN, Dec. 25--Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is scheduled to visit Iran in the near future, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry announced.
Speaking on the sidelines of the international conference themed “Global Cross-Culture: India and Iran as Case Studies“, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah also told reporters that he intends to travel to Tehran next month to make preparations for the emir’s visit, Presstv reported.
“The trip, made upon a formal invitation by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, aims to focus on areas of mutual interests, including the export of Iranian water and gas to Kuwait,“ the foreign minister added.
Maymouna Al-Sabah, the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Kuwait University that organized the event, had earlier stated that the main reason behind choosing Indian and Iranian cultures as case studies was their close proximity throughout history with the Arab world.
Experts from India, Iran, Kuwait, Egypt, and Oman discussed the contribution of India and Iran to economic, historical and cultural issues of the region.

TEHRAN, Dec. 25--Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said no one has the right to make a personal interpretation of the law.
Addressing a gathering of deputy police commanders on Tuesday, Pour-Mohammadi added that those who believe the police plans are not useful should go to Majlis for proving their claims.
He also stressed the importance of confronting lawbreakers, IRNA reported.
Describing the police as a symbol of discipline and power, Pour-Mohammadi said the police should fulfill its duty toward people.
“The police performance will improve by informing and trusting people,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Eskandar Momeni, deputy commander of police forces, said the gathering is aimed at improving the performance of Emergency Police 110 and expanding its rescue operations.
“Emergency Police 110 was established eight years ago and some 34 million people contacted it in the last Iranian year (ended March 20),“ he said.
Momeni announced that about 22 million people have contacted Emergency Police 110 in the first eight months of the current Iranian year.

Ali Larijani

Dec. 25--Iran’s former top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, arrives in the Egyptian capital city to visit its cultural centers and universities.
Larijani will also meet Egyptian officials, intellectuals and university professors, said a diplomatic source in an interview with IRNA’s correspondent in Algiers on Monday.
The trip follows Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit’s remarks on Sunday that Tehran and Cairo are negotiating to completely normalize relations.
An Egyptian delegation headed by Assistant Foreign Minister Hussein Drar recently visited Tehran and held talks with Iranian officials on bilateral relations.