Iran International has received a document that shows massive corruption in Iran’s Ministry of Health, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two organization under the control of the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.

The document is a letter from a private company to Hamid Reza Jamshidi, the secretary of the national coronavirus taskforce in the Ministry of Health, in which, the competition process between the IRGC and Barekat Foundation for signing a contract with a Korean company to import test kits has been explained.

In early March, Irgan Mehr company invited representatives from the Korean company MiCo BioMed to Iran to import coronavirus test kits, but several Ministry of Health officials including the secretary of coronavirus taskforce used their influence to sign a contract with the Korean company through a company subsidiary to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order foundation, to buy the test kits for almost 25000 tomans and sell it for 60000 tomans.

Irgan Mehr company started negotiations with the Korean company in late February, and assured them that although American parts have been used in the kits, the U.S sanctions will not hinder the import of the test kits and the Korean company will receive the money. Two weeks later, a delegation of four representatives from the Korean company arrived in Iran. After two meetings, the company asked for a permit from the Ministry of Health.

At the same time, Irgan Mehr company also suggested the Korean product to the Barekat Foundation, a subsidiary to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order foundation, which is controlled by the supreme leader. The Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order was founded in 1989 by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini, and seven years ago, Reuters estimated its assets at $95 billion.

While both companies were waiting for a response from the Ministry of Health, an individual at Khordad 15th Foundation, another one of the supreme leader’s institutions, introduced the project to the Medical Community Basij Organization.

In a letter that Iran International has received, it is stated that the Medical Community Basij Organization held the equipment and the fund for the devices and 300 test kits “hostage” on the condition that the Medical Community Basij Organization would receive the exclusive right to distribute the product.

The letter mentions that the Korean and Iranian companies asked senior IRGC commanders for mediation, and as a result, the project was suspended for a while, and the Korean company did not receive its money.

While Irgan Mehr company was corresponding with the office of the president in order to receive the permit for distribution, KBC company, another subsidiary to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order Foundation, signed a contract with the Korean company, without a permit from the Ministry of Health.

The letter states that the Korean company was surprised to see how the regime’s institutions are fighting over financial gain instead of focusing on the coronavirus crisis.

With many cases such as this, it seems that the main problem in fighting the coronavirus crisis in Iran is the corruption within the regime and not the sanctions.