Iran`s Bank Melli management board members banned from leaving country over $2.6b fraud case

TEHRAN,April 9(MNA) – Members of the management board of Bank Melli Iran have been prohibited from leaving the country over the $2.6 billion financial fraud case, Mehdi Farahani, an official at the office of the Tehran prosecutor general, announced in Tehran on Sunday. Farahani made the remarks during the fifth court session in the trial of defendants accused of involvement in the most massive fraud case in the history of Iran, which has triggered a wave of resignations and dismissals of the country’s banking officials. Farahani also announced that director of the office of Mahmoud Reza Khavari, the former managing director of Bank Melli Iran who fled to Canada after the fraud case was uncovered, has been arrested. So far, indictments have been issued for 32 of the defendants, he stated, adding that 100 people have been charged with involvement in the case. Members of the management board of Bank Saderat Iran, managing directors of a number of branches of Tat Bank, Tourism Bank, Bank Melli Iran, and a number of MPs are among the defendants, Farahani stated. Court session in the trial of these people will be held in the future, he added.