Abii
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sold off his collection of official gifts in a charity auction on Wednesday, including a platinum Monc Blanc pen commemorating Charlie Chaplin's life.
The auction of dozens of luxury brand watches and gem-encrusted jewelry appeared to be designed to cement the populist Iranian leader's reputation as a man of the people before he stands down as leader after June's elections.
Proceeds from the sales, held in a palace of the former Shahs of Iran, would be used to build homes for the country's war veterans and single mothers.
Collectors at the event at Sadabad Palace in north Tehran bid for a series of items given to Mr Ahmadinejad by states including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan.
The barrel of the pen is decorated with a series of gears as a symbol of the movie that criticises capitalism, and Chaplin's famous walking stick.
Officials said the auction raised £200,000, including the £70,000 price of the pen.
Other items sold at the charity event included a series of gifts of diamond necklaces from the president of Pakistan to his Iranian counterpart, as well as a rare Islamic ring given to Mr Ahmadinejad by the Emir of Qatar.
Hussein Badakhshan, the Head of Iran's Welfare Organisation responsible for the event said: "The [funds] earned through this interesting auction will go to the building of 100 home units for the war veterans and their families, as well as disadvantaged single mothers and widows, by means of providing them with very low mortgage rates."
The auction of dozens of luxury brand watches and gem-encrusted jewelry appeared to be designed to cement the populist Iranian leader's reputation as a man of the people before he stands down as leader after June's elections.
Proceeds from the sales, held in a palace of the former Shahs of Iran, would be used to build homes for the country's war veterans and single mothers.
Collectors at the event at Sadabad Palace in north Tehran bid for a series of items given to Mr Ahmadinejad by states including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan.
The barrel of the pen is decorated with a series of gears as a symbol of the movie that criticises capitalism, and Chaplin's famous walking stick.
Officials said the auction raised £200,000, including the £70,000 price of the pen.
Other items sold at the charity event included a series of gifts of diamond necklaces from the president of Pakistan to his Iranian counterpart, as well as a rare Islamic ring given to Mr Ahmadinejad by the Emir of Qatar.
Hussein Badakhshan, the Head of Iran's Welfare Organisation responsible for the event said: "The [funds] earned through this interesting auction will go to the building of 100 home units for the war veterans and their families, as well as disadvantaged single mothers and widows, by means of providing them with very low mortgage rates."
