Four sentenced to death over $2.6bn Iran bank fraud

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

Four people have been sentenced to death for their roles in Iran's biggest-ever bank fraud scandal.

Two other defendants received life sentences, while 33 more will spend up to 25 years in jail, the chief prosecutor was quoted as saying.

The scandal involved forged documents reportedly used by an investment company to secure loans worth $2.6bn.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year denied allegations that his government was involved.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19045737

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If you forward this to anyone, you might try dropping the word "Iran" ... see what kind of reactions you get ...

"Four sentenced to death over $2.6bn ... bank fraud"

[brewens]

1. I'm only against the death penalty because we sometimes get the wrong guy.

I suppose that will always be the case. Our system doesn't demand absolute proof for a conviction.

Those Iranians will be hanged as far as I know and they don't believe in making it humane. They often just hoist them with cranes and let them strangle.

I'd be satisfied in this country if we just prosecuted and locked up our white collar criminals. These days, hanging some of them doesn't seem like such a bad idea though.

[rfranklin]

2. Life imprisonment would be better...

Let them think about it for a long, long time.

[DCKit]

10. Life imprisonment is cheaper anyway.

Appeals can eat up tens of millions.

Additionally, when they find out someone is actually innocent, it's never too late.

[rfranklin]

16. though to be fair, Iran doesn't spend much on appeals...

They just hang 'em high.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

4. And we have had prosecutors and MEs who fake or hide evidence. n/t

[hobbit709]

3. That would certainly make the "Too big to fail" people take notice.

[slackmaster]

5. Executing someone over theft of property is barbaric

[nolabels]

8. Invading countries and engaging in warfare for the benefit of Corporations is fascist

Stoning to death for having a romantic relationship outside a marriage sounds kind of outdated also

The world is changing faster than our establishment and culture can handle it. Really, feels like the revolution is happening and isn't being recognized for the thing it is (that's a good thing, we will be able to go around them while they are not paying attention)

[jtuck004]

9. Tens of thousands of people have, and are, suffering directly because of the actions of bankers

in this country. They include sudden and fatal heart attacks, serious illness, suicide and depression well above the norm, the loss of any assets, and nearly guaranteed decades of poverty for increasing numbers of people in the United States. All this because banks borrowed money and wound up leveraging not just debt, but the lives of the taxpayers. And we subsidize that madness. Still.

They may not be as obvious as a person with a shotgun, but they have brought (and continue to wreak) horrendous and nearly unimaginable tragedy and death to millions of people both here and abroad, so in sheer numbers their actions far outweigh any group of criminals I can think of. As a part of the group that is raking in most of the wealth in this country, this also precludes opportunity, such as work or enough pay for health care or to save for retirement for millions of others.

In that context, bankers execute people for their property every day in foreclosure proceedings. The homeowners just don't fall down right away, they have to suffer for a few years first.

That's barbaric.

[slackmaster]

14. Do you support the death penalty for murder, or just for theft?

[jtuck004]

19. I support the death penalty when it stops an ongoing threat to people,

preferably administered at the point where it does the most good. With thoughtfulness and sound aim as required. That also includes some people who have been incarcerated, but who still present on ongoing threat to others if we cannot or will not contain them.

Other than that sliver of safety, we get nothing from it, so I don't support the death penalty in most other contexts. Certainly not for some supposed retribution for murder or theft.

But the bankers aren't just committing theft. They are killing people. It takes longer, so people can rationalize away the connection, But they have been responsible for more tragedy and pain than any Al Qaeda member or Timothy McVeigh could dream of. The terrorists get all the press cause it's easy to show on a news segment, but they are pikers compared to the wealthy in their creative destruction.

Unfortunately, in the case of bankers and the wealthy, so simple a solution as the death penalty is inadequate. It would just leave an empty chair. Others, greedy and venal, would move into it, just like feral cats move into a vacated space when one of their brethren gets eaten or killed.

I don't support it because the death penalty is no solution to that problem. But their actions are no less morally reprehensible and probably more harmful to a greater number of people than the person who merely murders a few, a couple hundred, or a few thousand people.

So in the world we live in I can certainly see how their schemes could rise to the level of murder or worse, and why others would want to apply the same penalties that result in the death penalty.

[slackmaster]

23. Wouldn't it make more sense to confiscate all of their assets and distribute them to the people...

...who were harmed?

Executing them accomplishes nothing. It's just blood lust.

[4th law of robotics]

15. It seems like the appropriate punishment for these sort of crimes

is to seize all their assets (sell off their house and all other property as well) to cover the loses and add a special punitive tax to any income they get from a future job to help pay back what they've stolen.

If it leaves them living the rest of their lives in poverty . .. well maybe that's something for the next batch of scammers to consider.

[Lint Head]

6. Don't agree with death but at least Iran knows what to do to criminal bankers.

Maybe the US should consider rendition to Iran of criminal bankers.

[Arctic Dave]

7. ROFL.

DUzy

[Vidar]

11. First time I've ever agreed with Iran.

[SoapBox]

12. NOW we're talk'n!!!!

This should be a headline story in the NYT!

Hey Wall Street Banksters...think about it.

[4th law of robotics]

13. A bit harsh, but I don't think I'll be losing any sleep over it.

[neeksgeek]

17. Probably gives Mittwit another reason to invade Iran (n/t)

[dtom67]

22. Right on ....

But I'm sure, just to be on the safe side, they ( Bankers ) will orchestrate some kind of threat ( a bomb at the Olympics? ) to get even us Dems begging to invade Iran.

[tawadi]

18. The ones who spend 25 years in prison there may wish they got the death penalty. eom

[Turbineguy]

20. No wonder the banksters want to bomb Iran!

Stealing is apparently illegal there.

[AlbertCat]

21. So that's how you do it...

... huh....