Iran’s Parliament will not pursue the impeachment of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite the initial efforts of a number of MPs, the Fars News agency reports.
In light of Ayatollah Khamenei’s recommendation to maintain a “calm atmosphere” in the country, Tehran MP Hossein Nejabat said the MPs who signed the motion to impeach the president will wait for the results of official investigations.
Eleven Iranian MPs filed a motion to impeach the president in connection with the $3-billion bank fraud that was recently uncovered.
When the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader spoke on Monday, he urged the media to desist in “creating uproar and controversy” over the scandal and to beware of elements that may want to take advantage of it.
That scandal involves the sale of $3 billion in fraudulent letters of credit to eight Iranian banks, with the Bank of Saderat and the Iran Melli Bank reportedly being the worst hit.
The head of the Bank of Saderat has been dismissed, and the Melli Bank chief resigned and then fled the country the next day.
The motion filed by the 11 MPs accused the president of being involved in the fraud, along with his chief of staff along with a number of other officials; it called on the judiciary to pursue the allegations.
Ahmadinejad has denied the charges but said he would remain silent beyond that in order to preserve national peace.
In his Monday address, Ayatollah Khamenei called for calm in the media so that the authorities could make an accurate assessment of the case.
The judiciary has already arrested a number of suspects, including several bank managers.
