The Price of Plain Talk

Iran's peppery Abol Hassan Ebtehaj, 62, is a talented economic planner who has strong opinions and speaks them frankly. As head of his government's Plan Organization from 1954 to 1959, he put into operation most of the big economic development projects for land irrigation, road improvement and bridge building under Iran's Seven-Year Plan. He also is a highly successful Teheran banker with a reputation for hard work and unswerving honesty. Last November he was arrested by Iranian police and carted off to jail on vague charges of extravagance and misuse of public funds.

Specifically, his interrogators accused Ebtehaj of signing, without proper authority, a contract with David E. Lilienthal's Development & Resources Corp. for a big irrigation and industrial project in Khuzistan province. Reportedly, the deal had been accepted in principle by the government, but not yet formally approved.

No one argues that the project was a bad one; indeed, his successor in the Plan Organization had promptly renewed the contract with Lilienthal when Ebtehaj resigned after an argument with the Cabinet. Moreover, at the time of Ebtehaj's arrest, no high official seemed prepared to admit responsibility for it; the Minister of Justice was ill and away from his office; the public prosecutor was nowhere to be found; Premier Ali Amini claimed he knew nothing of the case.

There was little doubt that the case had more to do with what Ebtehaj had been saying than what he had been doing. In speeches and to visitors, he had openly criticized the corruption, graft, and suppression of freedom on the highest levels of the Iranian government, even within the Shah's court. Word of his criticism reached Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi himself, leading some to suggest that Ebtehaj's real offense was lese majeste.

Last week police were still holding Abol Hassan Ebtehaj "for investigation" without bail. Even Premier Amini was saying, "He is an honest man, and I hope he soon will be released." Commented the New York Times: "American friends of Iran can only feel distress."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.