CEO OF Quasi-Public Firm In Iran Pocketed 230k Euros For Business Trips

The head of Iran’s Mahab Qods Consulting Company, which operates in dam and hydropower industry under the Energy Ministry, has been paid €500 per day during his work trips to other countries.

The quasi-governmental engineering company -- one of Iran’s biggest -- was founded to build embankment and gravity dams in Iran but has changed its focus to small projects overseas for more profit.

According to Mehr news agency, the CEO of the firm, Nasser Tarkeshdouz, has been on domestic business trips for three days in the last five years, but spent 576 days in foreign countries during 117 trips, for which he received €233,200 euros.

The astronomical payment by Iranian standards is apart from his own salary that is most probably much higher than salaries ordinary Iranians receive.

According to data published in December, there is a vast difference between minimum and maximum salaries in Iran.

While the minimum wage across the government is fixed at about $120 a month, the highest earning personnel can get up to $10,000.

The high paid employees are usually well-connected individuals who have access to extra legitimate or illicit incomes if they are part of the financial corruption network in the country.