NIOC in Talks with Chinese, Tajik Banks over Billionaire Zanjani's Oil Debts

TEHRAN, July 23 (Shana) - Director of legal affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said the company is pursuing to gather it assets from corporate mogul Babak Zanjani form Chinese and Tajik Banks.

Speaking to Shana, Ali Akbar Mahrokhzad said despite the big debtors' baseless promises to settle his debts over the course of the past 2.5 years, NIOC is still claiming its assets from Zanjani and is seeking to gather them from foreign banks.

The official said NIOC is also devising an MoU with Tajik banks in this regard. 

He said the mogul's assets have been estimated to stand at about IRR17,000b.

Zanjani was arrested on December 30, 2013 after 12 Iranian lawmakers accused him of corruption, calling for an inquiry into his financial activities in a letter to the heads of the three branches of the Iranian government.

According to the indictment against him, the billionaire is faced with charges including "corruption on earth," massive fraud at Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum and money laundering.

Experts say the estimated net worth of his assets is around USD 13.8 billion. The corporate mogul, aged 42, owns and operates many holdings and companies, including the UAE-based Sorinet group, Qeshm Airlines and Rah Ahan Soccer Club in Iran.

Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum says Zanjani still owes more than two billion euros for the oil exports he handled on behalf of the former government after the US and the EU imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil industry in 2012 over the country’s nuclear activities. 
News ID 265511

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