Collecting and selling smuggled and abandoned properties was initially the responsibility of the customs. Later, this task was assigned to a committee consisting of representatives from the Foundation of the Oppressed, Jihad-e-Sazandegi, Housing Foundation, and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the country. With the approval of the “Law on the Collection and Sale of Abandoned and Confiscated Goods and Smuggled Goods without an Owner and Hidden Owner” in 1982, these matters were transferred to the Center for the Collection and Sale of these goods, located in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance. With the approval of the “Law on the Establishment of the Organization for the Collection and Sale of Privately Owned Properties and its Statute” in 1991, the Organization for the Collection and Sale of Privately Owned Properties was established. This organization is one of the state-owned companies under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance.

According to the mentioned law, the duty of this organization is as follows: “Collection, preservation, management, and sale of abandoned government and non-government goods, confiscation and smuggling of confiscated goods, and also movable and immovable properties and financial rights that are taken or will be taken by the competent judicial authorities or decisions of competent administrative and trade authorities in various forms such as confiscation, seizure, return, possession, fines, financial penalties, reconciliation, gift, and other properties that come under the ownership or possession of the government in accordance with Article 49 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran and other laws.”

According to Article 11, the pillars of this organization are: General Assembly, Board of Directors, CEO, High Supervisory Board, and Auditor. The most important pillar of the organization is the General Assembly, which according to Article 12 of the same law consists of the following individuals: 1- Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance as the Chairman of the General Assembly

This organization is one of the institutions that is prone to corruption, as it has control over ownerless and confiscated properties. Perhaps for many, taking ownerless property may seem acceptable. As the saying goes, “easy money, heartless soul!” It should be noted that when we talk about confiscated or ownerless properties, it should not be assumed that they are worthless abandoned items. Rather, this organization has control over properties that may be worth billions of dollars; properties such as luxury cars, expensive goods that have been smuggled into or out of the country, and also properties that are confiscated by the Revolutionary Courts under Article 49 of the Constitution; including valuable real estate. Numerous reports of corruption in this organization have been published. For example, in November of this year, Mustafa Mirsalim, a member of parliament and member of the Expediency Discernment Council, criticized the lack of transparency in this organization, the waste of public funds, and the numerous violations of its officials

Various reasons have caused the organization responsible for collecting and selling confiscated properties to become a breeding ground for corruption. Perhaps the most important reason is the lack of necessary and appropriate regulations. The relevant regulations have not foreseen the necessary requirements to prevent corruption in this organization. This has also been confirmed by some judicial authorities. In addition, in the “Law of Establishment of the Organization for Collection and Sale of Confiscated Properties and its Statute,” there are provisions that have created a platform for corruption. For example, Article 3 of this law states that the income and expenses of confiscated properties through Article 49 of the Constitution and properties without owners, heirs, or properties obtained through khums and relinquished by the authority of the Supreme Leader. These properties, which make up a significant portion of the confiscated properties, are under the control of the Supreme Leader and there are no measures or regulations in place to determine how the Supreme Leader can use these properties. In other words, the Supreme Leader can easily

Another question that can be raised is why, despite numerous reports of violations and corruption in this organization, which even the head of the judiciary has appointed twenty-five special judges to investigate, no reforms have been made in the regulations and structure of this organization. If officials believe that there is corruption and mafia in this organization, what is preventing the removal of this corruption? Perhaps the most logical answer is that the mentioned mafia has a very high level of power and influence, and they may be carrying out illegal actions with the support of high-ranking government officials. The officials of the judiciary have stated that there is corruption and rent-seeking in this organization, but on the other hand, why don’t they say how many cases have been filed against corrupt individuals in the organization so far?

The storage of confiscated properties in the organization’s warehouses is also one of the issues that has received numerous criticisms. The properties that are in the possession of this organization are stored in inappropriate warehouses, causing significant damage to these properties. This damage affects both the beneficiaries and the government. There have been reports of confiscated vehicles being left under rain and sun for years, causing them to deteriorate. Such a situation is unacceptable for an organization that has a suitable budget and is itself a source of income. In some cases, the goods in the possession of this organization include consumables and food items. Usually, due to the negligence of officials and failure to take timely and necessary actions, these goods become spoiled and unusable. In some cases, it has been reported that some relevant officials deliberately do not determine the fate of the consumable goods in order to seize them for themselves. Along with these cases, there have been reports of goods going missing during the transfer from customs to the organization’s warehouse. On the

As a conclusion, it can be said that the organization for collection and sale of state-owned properties is formed and managed based on laws that are plagued with numerous weaknesses. The lack of oversight mechanisms for this organization and lack of transparency have turned it into a suitable place for financial corruption. Despite the fact that this corruption has also been reflected in the statements of judicial authorities, the judiciary has not yet shown the necessary determination to prevent corruption and deal with corrupt individuals.