The so-called SUV-gate scandal, in which legislators allegedly received luxury vehicles in a political quid pro quo, does not seem to be going away. New allegations continue to surface, this time from another MP who is alleging that many other government entities have also received SUVs outside the registration process and out of turn at a discounted rate.
The claim about offers of SUVs to some members of the Majles has turned into a chaotic political whodunit. “The accusation has generated heated discussions about the impeachment [of former minister of industry Reza Fatemi-Amin] and, of course, made the administration angry,” wrote Kargozaran daily on 29 April. The media went wild back in April when an MP first claimed that dozens of legislators had received SUVs to withdraw their support for the impeachment of Fatemi-Amin (Daily Summary of 30 April 2023: “Another One Bites the Dust: Minister of Industry Gone”). While these allegations did not stop Fatemi-Amin’s impeachment by the Majles, his failure to receive a vote of confidence did not end the controversy surrounding what came to be known as “SUV-gate.” It was revealed that SUVs were offered at a discounted rate and outside the regulations and the registry system, and the scandal continues to deepen and broaden (Daily Summary of 5 May 2023: “MPs’ Bribery Scandal Brings Systemic Corruption to Forefront”). Now, after 229 representatives signed a letter denying that they received SUVs in violation of regulations, there is a new twist. MP Ehsan Arkani, the secretary of the Majles investigation and research committee monitoring the executive branch, claimed that SUVs were also offered to other government organizations and their employees, including the president’s office. Arkani told his colleagues in an official session of the Majles that the committee has received information regarding the contract of one of the automobile companies that also produces SUV products, showing that a number of cars were handed over to government ministries and the president’s office. According to Arkani, the unnamed car manufacturer has allocated a “special sales package” to employees of various government ministries. Confirming that he had the names of these organizations and ministries, Araki went a step further and named some of the organizations involved in the scandal. These included, among others, the ministry of education, the ministry of roads and urban development, the ministry of science, the Plan and Budget Organization, the Social Security Organization, and the National Pension Fund. According to the findings of the investigation and research committee of Majles, although the organizations in question received automobiles outside of the registration cycle, the special inspector of the president’s office, either accidentally or intentionally, chose to ignore this clear violation. For now, it is expected that there will be more twists to this tale and the one question remaining is how the administration, as well as the suspected ministers and entities, will respond to these latest allegations.
