DUBAI/GENEVA (Reuters) – Iran arrested a businessman subject to US and European Union sanctions yesterday, Iranian media reported, as officials met in Geneva for further talks on the country’s nuclear programme. Babak Zanjani, the chairman of Sorinet Group, was arrested yesterday afternoon, Mehr news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei as saying. Iran’s state news agency IRNA cited an unnamed source as saying Zanjani had been transferred to Evin prison in Tehran.
No comment was immediately available from Sorinet. Zanjani has denied any wrongdoing.
The Iranian news agencies announced the arrest as Iranian officials held expert-level talks with their counterparts from six world powers, a third round of discussions on how to roll out the Nov 24 deal that Iran agreed in return for relief from some economic sanctions.
Since the election of President Hassan Rouhani in June, Iran has promised a policy of engagement with the West.
Iran’s Press TV said Zanjani had been arrested on corruption charges and quoted the head of the Supreme Audit Court, Amin-Hossein Rahimi, as saying the National Iranian Oil Company had tasked him with exporting oil worth $3.0 billion.
“The problem is that they were supposed to get collateral from him by law and this was not done. This is a violation,” Press TV quoted Rahimi as saying.
