TEHRAN Majlis Deputy Hossein Marashi was appointed to the anti-corruption committee by Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi, following the proposal of MP Behzad Nabavi, an MP, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the TEHRAN TIMES here yesterday.

There was severe criticism of Marashi's appointment to the committee because he is involved in financial and economic affairs.

Speaker Karrubi, under intense criticism for appointing Marashi, has decided to remove him.

The MP told the TEHRAN TIMES that Nabavi has close relations with the Head of the Expediency Council, ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and that the proposal had been made in the framework of this relationship.

The committee has been established to investigate and disclose financial corruption in the country, following the guidelines announced in April by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. The committee comprises nine representatives, three from the Judiciary, three from the Executive, and three from the legislature (Majlis).

The Judiciary representatives on the committee are Hojjatoleslam Raeisi, Hojjatoleslam Alizadeh and Hojjatoleslam Izadpanah. The Executive representatives are Mohammad Shariatmadari, Ali Younessi and Mohammadreza Aref.

Marashi had been appointed to be one of the Majlis representatives to the committee, along with Reza Norouz-Zadeh.