TEHRAN’S AMBASSADOR TO IRELAND ARRESTED IN IRAN
Reuters
09/21/05 11:53 ET
TEHRAN, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Tehran’s ambassador to Ireland has been
arrested in Iran on charges of financial mismanagement, Iranian
judicial and foreign ministry sources said on Wednesday.
Judiciary Minister Jamal Karimirad told reporters on Monday an Iranian
envoy had been arrested and was in jail after failing to meet bail.
Foreign Ministry sources on Wednesday named the man as Hamid Reza
Nikkar, ambassador to Ireland. There was no indication of how Nikkar
pleaded.
“One of our ambassadors has been arrested for financial mismanagement,”
Karimirad said on Monday. “Ten percent of a 16-million euro ($19.5
million) deal has been mismanaged,” he added.
It was unclear whether the charge, which one source said involved a
construction project, related to a crime committed in Iran or abroad.
Nikkar took up his posting in Dublin in June and foreign ministry
sources said the charges were likely to relate to an alleged offence
before his arrival in Ireland.
Press reports at the time of Nikkar’s appointment said he had served
as ambassador to Armenia and mayor of the central city of Isfahan
before taking up his Dublin post.
The Irish ambassador in Tehran declined to comment on the case.
(Additional reporting by Paul Hoskins in Dublin)