New Iran business scandal feared
Aftenpost, Norway
Updated: 09 Oct
The president of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), Jens Ulltveit-Moe, has been asked to explain to a committee the details behind a series of dubious deals with leaders of the Iranian oil industry. A similar scandal recently toppled Statoil leaders.
The NHO president is currently in Brazil but was expected to make a report on his version of the Iran issue next week, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported.
Newspaper VG reported that Mehdi Hashemi, the son of former president Rafsanjani, was involved in aiding an Ulltveit-Moe company in 1997, when firm Umoe Schat-Harding sent NOK 1.2 million to Iran to clear up problems connected to the sale of nine lifeboats to Iranian oil company IOEC (Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company.
Mehdi is the same man that Statoil management believes was to receive vaguely earmarked consultancy funds amounting to NOK 115 million from Statoil. CEO Olav Fjell, foreign director Richard Hubbard, and board director Leif Terje Loeddesoel all lost their positions at Statoil in the wake of this scandal.
Ulltveit-Moe's associate Erlend Grimstad was unsure that Mehdi Hashemi was involved in both deals, and also claimed to be unaware of any connection between Hashemi and Umoe Schat-Harding.
During the Statoil revelations Jens Ulltveit-Moe emphasized the NHO's stand against corruption.
"For the market economy corruption is a cancer, an extra cost and an unfortunate distortion of competition," Ulltveit-Moe said on the NHO's behalf.
Aftenposten English Web Desk
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article.jhtml?articleID=643786Leader underlines Islamic morale
2003/10/09
IRIB
Tehran, Oct 9 - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei here on Thursday stressed that the only solution to all the existing problems facing the world of Islam is to maintain and strengthen the Islamic morale and identity.
Addressing participants in the 3rd international Conference on Ahlulbait (AS), the infallible household of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), the Supreme Leader said since the Muslim Shiites have always been forerunners in the Islamic unity campaign, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers defending Muslim nations as its own duty.
As to Iran's support for the struggle of the Palestinian people against the Zionist regime, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that the Islamic Republic has not come to terms with the Zionist occupiers, the global arrogance and their allies over the past 25 years and will maintain such an stance in the future.
Commenting on attempts by the global arrogance, headed by the United States to eliminate the Islamic morale from among Muslims, the Supreme Leader underlined the need for consolidation of unity among the Islamic Ummah throughout the globe.
Ayatollah Khamenei further paid tribute to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Al-Hakim, the former deputy head of the World Ahlulbait Assembly.
Referring to presence of the occupying forces as the main problem facing the Iraqi people, the Supreme Leader emphasized that if the Iraqi people are allowed to choose their own ruling system and constitution, they will certainly run their country in the best possible manner.
The third international conference on Ahlulbait (AS), is to open in Tehran today with participation of some 500 intellectuals from 84 world countries.
The agenda of the meeting include reports to be given by Muslim scholars and intellectuals, review of the problems of the Islamic world and future programs of the World Ahlulbait Assembly.
http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=189914