implicated in a massive fraud and whose bank is sanctioned for missile and nuclear work and terrorism support ever got Canadian citizenship.
The signers—heavily Iranian-Canadians—also want Mahmud-Reza Khavari’s citizenship revoked,
Khavari resigned as chairman of Bank Melli September 27 and flew to Toronto where it turns out he owns a mansion in an upscale neighborhood that he bought in 2007 for more than $3 million.
One month later, it is assumed he is holed up in the house. No 
one at the property questioned by reporters will say anything.
The Canadian government is also totally silent.
And back in Tehran, the government isn’t saying very much either. While the regime accuses the United States of accusing Iran of plotting an assassination in Washington in order to deflect news of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Iran seems to be using its loud denunciations of the US for allegedly crushing the Occupy Wall Street movement and for accusing Iran of plotting an assassination to successfully deflect attention from the largest bank fraud in Iranian history.
Khavari used to work for Bank Sepah, which has been sanctioned by the United Nations for providing banking services to Iran’s missile and nuclear programs. He then switched to Bank Melli, which is sanctioned by the United States and EU for financing terrorism.
The petition went to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney demanding to know how Khavari ever obtained Canadian citizenship.
Ali Ehsassi, a Toronto lawyer who organized the petition drive, said, “When people like this guy, Khavari, actually applied to become a Canadian citizen, one would expect the bureaucracy to do a background check.”
Ehsassi said he and others who fled Iran for sanctuary in Canada have long been concerned that officials of the Islamic Republic are able to come to Canada with vast sums of money and acquire citizenship.
“Iranians have run away from this government, so why in the name of God would they ever want to associate with these individuals here in Canada?” he asked.
Meanwhile, in Tehran, the Fars news agency quoted unnamed sources as saying Canada had told Iran it was investigating Khavari to find out how he obtained citizenship. Canada has not said that publicly.
Fars also said Canada was likely to extradite Khavari. But Canada and Iran do not have an extradition treaty, so that is a false report.
Canadian reporters have peppered Canada’s Immigration Department and Foreign Affairs Department with questions for a month without receiving any response. Last Monday, The Toronto Star said the Foreign Affairs Department told it to take all future queries to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), implying it was investigating. But the RCMP said it could neither confirm nor deny whether any police investigation was underway.
