Behind the Scenes of the Automotive Industry: Who is Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani? Part One

Behind the Scenes of the Automotive Industry: Who is Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani? Part One

Behind the Scenes of the Automotive Industry: Who is Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani? According to Iran Gate, the news of allocating 70 to 75 vehicles to representatives who opposed the performance of the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade during the second impeachment of Seyed Reza Fatemi Amin has caused controversy. This issue, raised by Alireza Beigi, the representative of Tabriz in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has also prompted a reaction from the Attorney General. Investigations suggest that this event likely occurred, with the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade allegedly bribing revolutionary representatives of the eleventh parliament to retract their stance on the impeachment of the Minister.

One of the representatives of the eleventh parliament, who has serious criticisms of the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade in Ebrahim Raisi’s government, has made a claim that has stirred controversy. Alireza Beigi recently alleged that the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade allocated a significant number of SUVs from the Bahman Automotive Group’s products in exchange for changing votes on the day of Fatemi Amin’s impeachment. In fact, this principled representative claimed that Seyed Reza Fatemi Amin bribed the representatives pursuing his impeachment to avoid being dismissed by the parliament for the second time.

Following the escalation of controversies surrounding this news, Iran Gate decided to delve into the matter and reveal its details to the audience. Therefore, it was necessary to address the origins of these discussions and the main crises ongoing in the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade. This report introduces one of the highly influential figures in the automotive industry who is at the center of attention.

There’s always a car involved

Before addressing the issue of corruption in the automotive industry, it should be noted that the discussion of Fatemi Amin’s impeachment has arisen at three different times due to incidents in the automotive field. These incidents indicate the continuous and ongoing activities of corrupt and rent-seeking currents at the heart of Iran’s industry, an industry that, according to experts, has not only failed to produce the slightest innovation but has also become a burden on Iran’s ailing and suffering economy.

Of course, the issue of corruption in the automotive industry is not limited to Ebrahim Raisi’s government, but the proposal for the impeachment of the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade on three occasions in less than two years indicates the intensification of serious crises in this field. Therefore, it was necessary to identify influential figures in the automotive industry over the past two years. However, these investigations are not only limited to the existence of corruption and rent-seeking currents, as the element of mismanagement by the individuals in question has had the most destructive effects on the industry and consequently on Iran’s economy.

Hello Mr. Director General

Iran Gate’s investigations show that one of the senior managers at the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade plays a significant role in the inefficiency and corruption of the automotive industry. Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani, the Director General of Automotive Industries at the Ministry, is one of the managers who, for the first time, alongside Seyed Reza Fatemi Amin, reached high managerial levels in the country’s industry. Tavakoli Lahijani, who currently holds direct responsibility for the country’s automotive industry, is one of the most important individuals who has contributed to the current situation in Iran’s automotive sector.

Who is Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani?

But who is Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani, and with what backing has he taken on such a critical responsibility? If you search his name in cyberspace and official media, you will not find a clear and specific record of his managerial background.

However, investigations show that Tavakoli Lahijani had no specific and continuous activity in the field of industry management in the country before 2016. Starting in the mid-2000s, he worked at the Saipa automotive group and managed to get his name on Saipa’s scholarship list at Sharif University through networking. Through this, he completed his master’s degree at Sharif University of Technology and then, again with Saipa’s scholarship, went to Iran University of Science and Technology, obtaining his doctorate from there.

Tavakoli Lahijani worked for years at Saipa’s Research Center as an expert and then as the engineering deputy from 2016 to 2020. In 2020, due to inefficiency and lack of technical qualifications, he was dismissed from his position and, after two decades at Saipa, was forced to leave this automotive group. Reports from Saipa’s Research Center staff, provided to Iran Gate, indicate unprofessional and unethical behavior by Tavakoli Lahijani towards other staff during his tenure as deputy.

The Director General’s Dismissal from Saipa

After being dismissed from Saipa’s Research Center, Tavakoli Lahijani moved to the Comprehensive Automotive Technology Research and Development Company, JETCO. The manner of this transfer raised serious doubts, and the justification for accepting him as a new force in an important group like JETCO is unclear. However, the way he secured scholarships at Sharif University and then Iran University of Science and Technology shows that Tavakoli Lahijani has a special talent for using connections and networking. Therefore, it is not unlikely that he managed to take advantage of abundant opportunities in the country’s ailing industry and, after a disgraceful dismissal from Saipa, secured a suitable position at JETCO.

Although there are rumors about Tavakoli Lahijani’s connection with Mohammad Hassan Shojaei Fard, the head of the Faculty and Research Institute of Automotive Engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology, Shojaei Fard is also one of the figures who, despite being academic, has a significant presence in Iran’s automotive industry. Some even believe that this professor at Iran University of Science and Technology is active as one of the main centers of a powerful gang in the country’s automotive industry.

If such claims are true, it can be said that Tavakoli Lahijani’s transfer from Saipa to JETCO, despite his proven lack of competence, was carried out by Shojaei Fard’s support and approval. As mentioned, rumors suggest a warm and close relationship between Tavakoli Lahijani and the head of the Faculty of Automotive Engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology.

So far, the ambiguous background of Abdollah Tavakoli Lahijani, who is currently working as the Director General of the Automotive Industry at the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade, has been examined. However, in the second part of this report, his performance in this field and his role in creating the ongoing crises in the automotive industry will be addressed.