Widespread Corruption in Awarding Educational Scholarships; List of 98 ‘Privileged Individuals’ with ‘Illegal’ Scholarships Sent to Judiciary

Following the disclosure of newer details from the illegal scholarships case, a member of parliament announced the submission of a list of 98 ‘privileged individuals’ who had obtained educational scholarships through corruption, to the judicial authority.

Mahmoud Sadeghi stated on Wednesday, October 23rd, to the National Parliament News Agency that this 98-person list includes ‘some officials at various levels’ which has been placed at the disposal of the judiciary.

This parliamentarian had previously stated on Tuesday, October 5th, three years after the illegal scholarships case was raised and scholarships for studying abroad were awarded without following legal procedures, that the names of several members of parliament and their children, parliament members, Friday prayer leaders, police commanders, and a minister were on this list.

However, Mahmoud Sadeghi made no reference to the names of these Islamic Republic officials who used corruption to obtain scholarships.

The illegal scholarships case was raised following Hassan Rouhani’s government coming to power in 2013, and it dealt with awarding educational scholarships outside legal procedures to over three thousand individuals during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration. Principalists and figures close to the Islamic Republic’s leader rejected the accusation, but the Ministry of Science after investigations ultimately confirmed that over 800 individuals lacked the necessary qualifications for scholarships.

The existence of mismanagement and widespread corruption in various organs and components of Iran’s governmental structure has repeatedly been the target of severe criticism by United States officials and lawmakers. The United States has repeatedly condemned institutionalized corruption and mismanagement, particularly special privileges and exclusive benefits for individuals close to circles of power, violation of citizens’ rights, suppression of people’s legitimate demands, plundering of Iran’s natural resources, and ambitious regional and global warmongering by the leaders of the regime governing Iran, and has considered them among the main factors behind the social, livelihood, welfare, economic, and financial problems of the Iranian people.

Source: Voice of America