The Speaker of Iran's parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has come under fire from conservatives after being implicated in a major financial corruption case.
Many among the public and some reformist politicians have also demanded a serious probe, leaving the Speaker vulnerable to serious pressure.
Earlier this month a leaked audio tape resurfaced in which two top Revolutionary Guard generals, former commander-in-chief Mohammad Ali Jafari and his deputy for financial affairs Sadeq Zolqadrnia are heard discussing a major corruption case. The top-secret tape revealed that over $3 billion disappeared in an IRGC-linked company and is still unaccounted for after several years.
Ghalibaf’s name comes up in the recording as the lead person who as mayor of Tehran at the time wants to cover up the embezzlement by involving the city administration in a fake contract to account for the lost money.
Hardliner cleric Hamid Rasaei, who is a member of the largest ultra-conservative faction in parliament (Majles), has charged in an article that Ghalibaf's aides clamp down on anyone who even thinks that the Speaker was involved in financial corruption.
Rasaei wrote: "The members of a clan who worship Ghalibaf do not like anyone to talk about the matter or criticize him." He was pointing to those aides who have tried to protect Ghalibaf from corruption allegations using his friendship with former IRGC Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in January 2020.
If you do criticize Ghalibaf, said Rasaei in a series of tweets, then you will come under attack by the pro-Ghalibaf media artillery. He posted screenshots of articles on several websites that attacked him and reformist activist Mostafa Tajzadeh who has also asked why nobody probes the financial case involving Ghalibaf.
Ghalibaf supporters have argued that Soleimani knew about the dealings in question and therefore the affair had nothing corrupt in it.
Rasaei has also written to the head of the Iranian armed forces judicial office asking it to shed light on the contents of the leaked audio file, without mentioning Ghalibaf.
He also charged that Ghalibaf's media adviser has tarnished the image of the IRGC and Soleimani to protect his boss.
Meanwhile prominent conservative activist Hossein Kanani Moghaddam told the press that it was unfair to sacrifice Soleimani’s reputation to protect Ghalibaf. He called on IRGC commanders and particularly former commander Mohammad Ali Jafari to shed light on the case and not allow Ghalibaf’s aides to tarnish Soleimani's image. He called the actions of an aide "a plot against Soleimani and the IRGC," a damning accusation that could entail dangerous repercussions.
"It was an unmanly act to try to whitewash Ghalibaf's corruption by levelling accusations against Soleimani," Kanani Moghaddam said. He also called on Ghalibaf to be accountable for what he has done to save the IRGC's face.
The attacks on Ghalibaf are however, not solely motivated by a desire to restore justice. Most of the attacks come from the members and media outlets of the ultraconservative Paydari Party, Ghalibaf's main rival at the parliament. During the past two years, Ghalibaf gave or solicited top jobs for his rivals in Paydari to establish his role as the speaker of the Majles. Now Paydari appears to be poised to unseat Ghalibaf when an annual election for Majles Speaker is slated to take place.
The only one who can save Ghalibaf and help him out of the trouble, is Ghalibaf’s relative, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who saved him once by ordering everyone not to dwell on the case when it first surfaced in 2017.