Official: Corruption network in Iran pays $4k per tweet against health ministry

Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki has warned over a corruption network that affects the medical system and spreads in social networks to damage the image of the ministry.

"A total of $1.3 billion (official foreign currency rate) that was provided for imports of medical equipment was taken outside the country, but it's not clear who is responsible for it," said Saeed Namaki, Trend reports citing ILNA.

Speaking to MP's, the Minister of Health has discussed a complex corruption network, saying it affects banking transactions and movement of medical equipment in the country, as well as overall import of medicine.

"This network is paying about $4,000 for a tweet against the health ministry or the minister," he said. "Even my wife and child receive death threats but I will not retreat from investigating and identifying the corruption network".

Namaki has previously indicated that the corruption in Iran's medical sector reaches some $2.1 billion, which led to country importing medical items that can be manufactured inside the country.