Tycoon Babak Zanjani Zanjani stands trial

October 4, 2015 - 0:0

TEHRAN - Iran has held the first hearing in the trial of Iranian super-billionaire Babak Zanjani, who is facing corruption charges.

The court session opened Saturday in branch 15 of the Revolution Court of Tehran, 630 days after his arrest, Press TV reported.

Two lawyers on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company, two lawyers on behalf of HK Company, one lawyer on behalf of Zanjani, two lawyers on behalf of his first deputy, and two lawyers on behalf of his second deputy attended the court’s open session.

During the session 65 pages of Zanjani’s 237-page-long indictment were read and the next hearing was set for the following day.

Zanjani was arrested on December 30, 2013 after 12 lawmakers accused him of corruption, calling for an inquiry into his financial activities in a letter to the heads of the three branches of the government.

According to the indictment against him, the billionaire is faced with charges including “corruption on earth,” massive fraud at the Oil Ministry and money laundering.

Experts say the estimated net worth of his assets is around $13.8 billion.

The Oil Ministry says Zanjani still owes more than two billion euros for the oil exports he handled on behalf of the former government after the U.S. and the EU imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil industry in 2012 over the country’s nuclear activities.

SP/P