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Mahafarid Amir Khosravi

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Mahafarid Amir Khosravi
مه‌آفريد اميرخسروى
Bornc. 1969
Rudbar, Gilan, Iran[1]
Died(2014-05-24)24 May 2014
Evin Prison, Tehran, Iran
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
NationalityIranian
Other namesAmir Mansour Aria
OrganizationAria Investment Development Company
Known for2011 Iranian embezzlement scandal
Criminal charge(s)Embezzlement, money laundering, bribery
Criminal penaltyDeath
Criminal statusExecuted
SpouseSara Khosravi

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi (Persian: مه‌آفرید امیرخسروی) (c. 1969 – 24 May 2014), also known as Amir Mansour Aria (Persian: امیرمنصور آریا), was an Iranian businessman who was executed for his part in the 2011 Iranian embezzlement scandal.[2] At one time, he was considered the richest man in Iran.[3] An assessment made in April 2012 suggested he would rank as 290th among Forbes' richest people in the world if included on the list.[4]

Biography

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Khosravi graduated from high school and was accepted at Islamic Azad University of Zanjan for civil engineering, but was dismissed after six semesters with a GPA of 6.23.[5] Khosravi finished his Iranian military service in 1993.[6]

He and his brother were running a cattle ranch when Khosravi began getting loans for its facilities during 2005–2006. At that time, he started a privately held company called Aria Investment Development Company with his family. Khosravi widened his relations with banks and, in 2010, requested to start his own bank, which was founded in the same year. According to Mohammad Reza Khabbaz, a member of the Iranian Parliament, Khosravi was supported by some government officials and used this influence to buy large stocks of many companies and hectares of land at prices well below the market value.[6]

By 2011, Khosravi's business holdings included more than 35 companies engaging in diverse business segments including mineral water, meat importation, and a football club. His net worth exceeded US$1 billion.[2] In 2011, an investigation into fraudulent loans at Bank Saderat, one of Iran's top banks, was launched. It was determined that Khosravi was the mastermind of a scheme that generated US$2.6 billion of loans with forged documents, dating back to 2007.[7] Under the scheme, bank managers were bribed by Aria Investment Development Company to accept the forged documents.[8] The loans were then used to purchase state-owned businesses, effectively privatizing the companies using state funds since the loans would not be repaid.[9] According to the investigation, Khosravi's company was worth 50 million tomans in June 2006, and had reached a value of 20 billion tomans by February 2009 due primarily to the loans transactions.[10][11]

Khosravi was charged with being "corrupt on earth", a charge that would make him an enemy of God and carry the death penalty. At his trial, he admitted to bribing Mahmoud Reza Khavari, the former head of Bank Melli, and others with more than US$3 million.[12] A total of 39 people were convicted in what was the largest fraud case since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.[2] In the investigation, it was alleged that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was an ally of Khosravi.[9] Ahmadinejad was questioned on his involvement with the embezzlement scheme, but no connection was proven.[8]

Khosravi was executed by hanging in Evin Prison in Tehran on 24 May 2014.[13] An appeal to stop the death sentence being carried out was dismissed by Iran's Supreme Court in the week prior to the execution.[14] After his death, his wife, Sara Khosravi, said that she was informed about the death of her husband through the news and did not believe it until their lawyer could see the body and confirm the death. She said that in their last meeting, the day before the execution, Mahafarid had been in good condition and was still hoping for a change to his death sentence.[15]

References

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  1. ^ «مه‌آفرید خسروی» از آغاز تا اعدام (in Persian). baharnews.ir. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Iran billionaire executed over $2.6B bank fraud". USA Today. AP. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  3. ^ "Richest man of Islamic Republic and main suspect of big banking fraud hanged in Evin prison!". Lenz Iran. Iranian.com. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  4. ^ شریفی, هادی (May 8, 2012). امیر خسروی ، دویست و نودمین ثروتمند جهان (in Persian). Alef. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  5. ^ مه‌آفرید امیر خسروی که بود؟ / از تولید جعبه میوه و کار روی پیکان تا تأسیس داماش و بانک آریا (in Persian). Alef. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  6. ^ a b جديدترين جزئيات از جلسه غیرعلنی مجلس در گفت‌وگوی مشروح فارس با خباز؛ واگذاری صدها هکتار زمین به 'اختلاس‌گر بزرگ' در کیش و کاشانک با قیمت متری 16ريال. Jomhourieslami (in Persian). September 20, 2011. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  7. ^ Dareini, Ali Akbar (October 30, 2011). "Iran parliament to question Ahmadinejad". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Iran Hangs Billionaire Over $2.6bn Bank Fraud". Sky News. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Iran Accuses Businessman of Bank Fraud". The New York Times. AP. September 12, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  10. ^ "جدیدترین اطلاعات درباره متهم به سوء استفاده 2800 میلیارد تومانی". همشهری‌ آنلاین. September 22, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  11. ^ "از تولید جعبه میوه و کار روی پیکان تا تأسیس داماش و بانک آریا". مشرق نيوز. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  12. ^ "Defendant of big banking fraud in court: I paid 3 million Dollar bribe to Bank Melli manager fugitive to Canada!". Lenz Iran. February 18, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  13. ^ مه آفرید اعدام شد (in Persian). خبرگزاری مهر. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  14. ^ "Iranians execute billionaire businessman following bank fraud". Iran Herald. May 24, 2014.
  15. ^ اولین مصاحبه همسر مه‌آفرید پس از اعدام: او دیروز درخواست تلفن داشت (in Persian). پايگاه خبری تحليلی فرارو. May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
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