Tuesday, December 22, 1998
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- An Iranian court has rejected an appeal by the
former mayor of Tehran who was sentenced to five years in jail for corruption.
Gholamhossein Karbaschi's appeal was reviewed by three judges, and
the ``charges and the cases of conviction remain the same,'' Iran's official
news agency reported Tuesday. It quoted judiciary spokesman Fotovat Nasiri-Savadkouhi.
The Islamic Republic News Agency did not say when the ruling was made.
Karbaschi was sentenced in July and had been allowed to remain free
on bail pending appeal. IRNA did not say if he had now been jailed, and
judiciary officials could not be reached for comment.
Karbaschi, an ally of moderate President Mohammad Khatami, was a target
of hard-line political rivals, and many Iranians saw the trial as a political
settling of scores.
He was found guilty of embezzlement during his eight years as Tehran's
mayor. He was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzlement and two
years for misappropriation of government money.
He was also ordered to pay $500,000 in fines and compensation to the
city and banned from holding any government job for 20 years.
During his trial, Karbaschi admitted to making mistakes, but denied
stealing public money.
As mayor, Karbaschi built parks and social centers and reduced pollution
and traffic congestion. But he also made enemies among the merchant class,
which resented his taxes and his support for Khatami.
