The Iranian president’s office has announced that accusations against chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashai and the president’s executive deputy Hamid Baghai are an attempt to spread false rumours.
IRNA reports that Baghai is suing Hassan Norouzi, the MP who recently filed corruption charges against him.
The charges involve the Samga Company, hotel construction projects in Kish Island, resort construction in Belarus and the import of Marlboro cigarettes. They were submitted to Parliament by Norouzi and two other MPs.
Meanwhile, MP Fazel Mousavi has announced that Parliament has appointed a special committee to investigate Mashai and Baghai. He added that the case is very sensitive, so he is not at liberty to discuss details.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his office have been targeted with severe criticism since disagreements emerged between the president and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
In recent months, several of Ahmadinejad’s allies in key government posts have been arrested.
Last week, Ahmadinejad finally spoke out, warning that if the arrests extend to his cabinet ministers, he will go public with certain issues to defend his colleagues.
The conservative elite claims the president’s office is the lair of a “deviant current” headed by Esfandiar Rahim Mashai that is trying to make the Islamic Republic stray from its current path by taking over the parliamentary election set for next March.
