Iran Working on Plan to Oblige Officials to Restitute Ill-Gotten Gains

Siamak Moreh Sedgh, who represents the Iranian Jewish community in the Parliament, said the implementation of the legislation would increase people’s trust in the country’s officials.

“I have a general viewpoint, and that is we should move on the path to financial transparency, be it for authorities or others, and hence, the origin of the properties of all people should become clear,” said the MP, according to a Farsi report by ICANA.

He described “financial transparency” and “restricting cash transactions” as among the measures to be adopted to tackle economic corruption.

“The plan on the restitution of officials’ ill-gotten gains is a very good action to build up people’s confidence in the country’s authorities and serves as a positive step in that path,” said the lawmaker.

He said a cap should be put on the financial transactions conducted in cash and transactions should basically be done and registered via the banking system in order to prevent bribery and financial abuse.

“Anybody who wants to invest money somewhere, he or she must prove that the money is earned through legitimate means,” he noted.

The MP then said he will be ready to voluntarily allow his wealth to be investigated.

“In line with implementing the plan on the restitution of officials’ illegally gained wealth, I can volunteer to be the first person [the source of] whose wealth is probed,” he said.

A group of lawmakers have prepared and will put to the vote a plan that obliges all Iranian officials to restitute all the money and properties they have gained illegally during their term in office.