Dominican diplomat arrested for allegedly embezzling billions of dollars

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Malaysian Prime Minister Skerrit spends quality time with Monfared.Monfared’s diplomatic passport.In 2015, Monfared met with CBI project director Emanuel Nanton, Alick Lawrence and Minister Darroux in Malaysia.

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go through Time Domain Network Wireline staff

January 25, 2017 at 8:07 AM

Malaysian Prime Minister Skerrit spends quality time with Monfared.

Tehran, Iran(TDN)

An Iranian man and a Dominican diplomat have been arrested and accused of helping embezzle billions of dollars as Iran evaded international oil sanctions.

Alireza Zibahalat Monfared, 43, was arrested after a long manhunt and extradited to Iran via Havana and Moscow to stand trial. Foreign news agencies reported that he was initially arrested in the Dominican Republic, but TDN confirmed that he was arrested on January 12 in the Dominican Republic by Interpol agents at a hotel in the city of Boca Chica, where he had been living since leaving the Dominican Republic last year. Monfared was involved in My Dominica Trade House (MDTH) with Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit (See related reports) In 2015, he was issued a diplomatic passport and in 2014 a regular Dominican passport. After his arrest, it was discovered that he had used multiple passports to evade capture. This passport is believed to have helped him evade capture in Malaysia, where he had previously been detained and enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

Monfared’s diplomatic passport.

The arrested fugitive is no stranger to the Dominican Republic, having visited the country several times and most recently his son who also lives there. He rose to prominence in the country after being arrested in Malaysia for drinking and partying with Skerrit and several government ministers in what became known as the MDTH farce. Monfared had falsely claimed that MDTH had large investments in the Dominican Republic, including in several clinics and hospitals there, but these investments were proven to be false. Monfared is accused of being part of Iran’s biggest ever corruption scandal, working with tycoon Babak Zanjani, who was sentenced to death last year for helping the country evade sanctions by enriching himself with $2.8 billion. Zanjani’s lawyer, Rasul Kupayezadeh, welcomed Monfared’s arrest, saying that “his interrogation and trial will reveal many questions and mysteries” and will prove his client’s innocence.

Last year, Iran hanged businessman Mahfarid Amir Khosravi for masterminding a $2.6 billion bank fraud, and legal experts believe the Dominican diplomat could face the same fate if convicted.