An Iranian court has handed prison sentences to two former ministers in connection with a high-profile corruption case tied to the import of tea, as reported by the judiciary on Tuesday. Referred to as the Debsh Tea Scandal in Iran, the investigation began in 2023 and implicated over 60 individuals, with the total financial impact estimated at $3.7 billion, according to the Iran newspaper, which cited the country’s chief justice.
Among the 42 defendants sentenced in the case were former agriculture minister Javad Sadatinejad and former industry minister Reza Fatemi Amin, as stated by Mizan Online, the judiciary’s official news outlet. Sadatinejad was sentenced to one year in prison, while Fatemi Amin received a two-year term for their involvement in the scandal. Both served under the late President Ebrahim Raisi and were found guilty of contributing to the disruption of Iran’s economic system. The court declared their sentences as “final and binding.”
The case also saw Akbar Rahimi-Darabad, the CEO of Debsh Tea company, sentenced to 66 years in prison for multiple offenses, including economic disruption, currency smuggling, and bribery. Rahimi-Darabad was ordered to repay over $2.38 billion in smuggled funds and pay an additional fine of $1.5 billion. Under Iranian law, prison terms are served concurrently, meaning he will serve a maximum of 25 years, corresponding to the longest sentence imposed.
Fatemi Amin had previously been impeached by lawmakers in April 2023 due to a surge in car prices. Sadatinejad was dismissed from his role as agriculture minister in the same month. In May 2024, he was separately sentenced to three years in prison in another corruption case involving the import of animal feed.
The Debsh Tea Scandal has drawn significant attention in Iran, highlighting widespread concerns over corruption and economic mismanagement within the country.
