Documents received by Feydus News show that despite at least ten official correspondences and a series of inquiries, warnings, and communications between the General Inspection Organization, the Court of Audit, the Retirement Fund, the Future Fund, and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare regarding the prohibition of appointing and employing Majid Khoda Bakhsh as the head of Padjam Petrochemical, he not only remains in this position but has also been appointed as the chairman of the board of Jam Petrochemical, the upper entity of Padjam, despite the conflict of interest and legal prohibition..
The first document is the legal opinion of the Legal Deputy, General Supervision of the General Inspection Organization dated 13th of Ordibehesht 1405 and number 42/35. The inquiry is explicit: Are the Future Support and Retirement Fund and its subsidiaries subject to the law prohibiting the employment of retirees? The result announced in the legal commission's opinion is also clear; given the fund's use of resources mentioned in the statute, including "government aid and legal commitments," the fund and its affiliated entities are not exempt from the law prohibiting the employment of retirees, and the appointment of Majid Khoda Bakhsh, who has been retired for more than ten years, is illegal..
Letters Revealing the Violation of the Law
In another set of documents, the Future Support and Retirement Fund confirms Khoda Bakhsh's retirement status. In letter number 405/02249 dated 16th of Khordad 1405, which later became the basis for correspondence with Amir Akbari, CEO of Jam Petrochemical, it is stated that Majid Khoda Bakhsh has been officially considered retired since the 1st of Dey 1392. Another document from the same fund also details his insurance and retirement records in response to inquiries from related agencies..
The importance of these documents lies in the letter addressed to Amir Akbari, CEO of Jam Petrochemical, where not only is Khoda Bakhsh's retirement reminded, but also Article 6 of the "Instructions on the Qualification of CEOs and Board Members of Subsidiaries and Affiliates of Retirement Funds" approved by the Cabinet is cited; a regulation that considers "not being retired or bought out" as a general condition for managers of these companies. In the continuation of this correspondence, the CEO of Jam Petrochemical is requested to take action to correct the situation within 72 hours and report the result, a matter that remains unresolved despite more than a month having passed..
The Court of Audit has also separately entered the case of Majid Khoda Bakhsh's appointment. Letter number 22103/14226 dated 22nd of Ordibehesht 1405 addressed to the CEO of the National Retirement Fund warns about compliance with regulations in Khoda Bakhsh's appointment. Subsequently, letter number 25600/18763 dated 10th of Mordad 1405 again follows up on this issue and emphasizes correcting the procedure..
This is not the end of the Court of Audit's correspondences. In another letter dated 15th of Shahrivar 1405 — whose number is read as 25600/26400 in the sent image — referring to the two previous letters, a 48-hour working deadline is set for correcting the situation, and it is stated that if the procedure continues, the matter will be pursued in the Court of Audit's supervisory sessions, a matter that has received no response..
The Ineffective Intervention of the General Inspection Organization
The General Inspection Organization has also directly addressed the Minister of Welfare. In confidential letter number 181648 dated 4th of Mordad 1405, Ahmad Meidari, Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, is addressed regarding the status of managers of companies affiliated with the Retirement Fund, and the ministry is asked to comply with specific regulations related to the managers of these companies in its decisions and correspondences. The subject of this letter is specifically the illegal appointment of Majid Khoda Bakhsh as the head of Padjam Petrochemical..
In continuation of these correspondences, the Court of Audit in letter number 25600/26400 dated 15th of Shahrivar 1405 addressed to the CEO of Saba Energy Holding has also specifically pursued the issue of Majid Khoda Bakhsh's appointment. In this letter, referring to previous correspondences of the Court, including letters number 22103/14226 dated 22nd of Ordibehesht 1405 and 25600/18763 dated 10th of Mordad 1405, it is stated that the failure to comply with legal requirements in appointing Khoda Bakhsh as a board member of subsidiaries of the National Retirement Fund remains a point of contention.
In this correspondence, the Court of Audit has given a 48-hour working deadline for correcting the procedure, issuing necessary orders, and reporting the result to the supervisory authority, warning that if the current situation continues, the matter will be pursued in the supervisory processes and sessions of the Court of Audit. The importance of this letter is that it extends the responsibility beyond the managers of the fund and directly holds the CEO of Saba Energy Holding, as one of the upstream links of this investment structure, accountable for the continuation of this appointment..
Meanwhile, Majid Khoda Bakhsh has explicitly stated that his friendship with Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the government, and his connections with the government body provide an opportunity to bypass the law and resolve the illegal appointment, claiming that he has resolved the issue in these entities through negotiation..
The question is, when the law prohibiting the employment of retirees and the specific corporate conflict of interest has clearly stated that the appointment of Majid Khoda Bakhsh in Padjam and Jam Petrochemical is illegal, which responsible authority in the Court of Audit, Inspection Organization, Ministry of Welfare, and Retirement Fund can bypass the law and ignore it, resolving Khoda Bakhsh's issue through favoritism, and what amounts have been exchanged in return for this action?.