Saeed Mortazavi, the former Tehran prosecutor and head of the Social Security Fund, presented the final portion of his defence on Sunday December 28 against charges of financial corruption laid against him by a number of officials.

One hundred senior officials of the former administration are being investigated in connection with financial corruption.

ILNA reports that according to one of the complainants, if the investigators conclude that Mortazavi is culpable, he will be indicted.

Reports indicate that Mortazavi has been appearing at the hearing with armed bodyguards, even though it is forbidden to carry firearms in court.

Mortazavi is accused of illegally transferring 138 subsidiary companies of the Social Security Fund to Babak Zanjani, the Iranian tycoon who is currently under arrest for owing exorbitant amounts of money to the Oil Ministry. He is also being accused of paying large bonuses to senior managers of the Fund and making other suspicious payments to government officials and MPs.

Mortazavi is the notorious former prosecutor of Tehran who was convicted of involvement in the transfer of protesters to Kahrizak Prison, where they were severely tortured and at least three died from the abuse by the guards. His sentence included a lifetime ban from holding any position in the judiciary and a five-year ban from holding any public office.

Radio Zamaneh