TEHRAN: Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iran’s first vice president under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was sentenced to prison and fined on Monday.

Appointed by Mr Ahmadinejad after a controversial election win in 2009, Rahimi is the most senior official from that era to be convicted.

“I cannot reveal the details because the sentence is not final, but it includes a term of imprisonment and a fine,” Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejeie, the second-ranking member of Iran’s judiciary, was quoted by state media as saying.

Iranian media previously reported that Mr Rahimi, 65, was on trial for corruption. Lawmakers had accused him of heading an embezzlement scheme.

He was questioned by judicial officials before being placed on bail in December last year.

According to Iranian law, the sentence must be confirmed by the court of appeal before it becomes final. The media does not have the right to reveal details of the conviction until that time.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd , 2014