Tehran, Nov 12 (AP) Iran's official IRNA news agency says authorities have arrested the former minister of welfare and social security for financial fraud.

The Sunday report says Parviz Kazemi was taken to Tehran's Evin prison two days ago.

Kazemi resigned from his post in 2006 after nearly a year under former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over political differences. He later worked in the banking sector.

In recent years, Kazemi turned into a critic of Ahmadinejad.

Several of Ahmadinejad's allies are in jail over charges relating to security and financial fraud.

In September, a court sentenced Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, a close ally of Ahmadinejad to six-and-a-half years in prison for plotting to commit crimes against national security, propaganda against the Islamic Republic and insulting officials. AP

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)