Iran link documented in official report for Turkey's corruption probe

A customs ministry report has showed that several companies of Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-Turkish businessman who was embroiled in Turkey?s huge graft probe that went public in December 2013, made both money and gold transfers to Babek Zencani, another Iranian businessman currently imprisoned in Iran on accusations of corruption. 

?The inspections have indicated that Zencani and Zarrab, and their companies have trade relations,? said the report, which was seen by daily Hürriyet. 

Daily Hürriyet has found the report on Reza Zarrab, which was prepared by the Customs and Trade Ministry inspectors 11 months ago. The report showed money and gold transportations between the companies of Zarrab and Zencani. 

Although the report openly shows business relations between the two businessmen, it has been kept at the ministry with no official steps taken about the claims for approximately 11 months. 

The report, which was prepared upon an order from the then-Customs Minister Hayati Yaz?c? after the Dec. 17 investigations in 2013, was finalized in Aug. 8, 2014 and presented to ministry officials. A number of foreign trade transactions and money transfers of Zarrab?s 43 companies to and from Turkey, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia between 2011 and 2013 were taken under the scope of the report, which was prepared under the signature of the ministry?s chief inspector and accepted by the ministry?s guidance and inspection chief. 

$8 bln worth of gold transported

According to the report, Zarrab?s Royal Shipping transferred 5.1 million Turkish Liras to one of Zencani?s companies on May 10, 2012, through the Istanbul branch of Bank Mellat. 

The report has also showed that Zarrab?s another company, Ravanda...