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Akif Chovdarov's trial continues

05 June 2017 16:31 (UTC +04:00)

An Azerbaijani court resumed on Monday the trial in the criminal case involving Major General Akif Chovdarov, former head of the main energy and transport security directorate under the liquidated Ministry of National Security (MNS), and other people arrested alongside him.

Following the trial, Salim Mammadov’s lawyer Javid Rzazade told journalists that the former owner of the “8km Bazaar”, Chingiz Asadov, gave testimony in the trial.

Asadov said he created the bazaar himself. “Then my brother committed a murder and we had some problems. At that time, Jafar Seyidov offered to lease the bazaar, and we agreed. I was paid for the first year and when I asked to be paid for the second year they said that they bought the bazaar. I appealed to the court and it passed a decision on my favor. They used the name of former minister Farhad Aliyev and didn’t show respect to anyone. Following the court decision, they were driven out of the bazaar. After this, Farhad Aliyev’s brother Rafig Aliyev swore me. When I responded him, Farhad Aliyev instructed Jafar and others to beat me. I was beaten up. They then ejected me from the bazaar and kidnapped my brother. I appealed to Baku City Main Police Office. Half an hour later Jafar called me up and said police could do us nothing. He said I had to give them the bazaar and the 600,000 manats I had on me. Having realized that I couldn’t deal with them, I gave the bazaar to Jafar. When Farhad and his men were arrested in 2005, I made a complaint to the MNS. Jafar was pressuring me because my wife was Armenian. Finally, I had to sell the bazaar to Akif Chovdarov and Hilal Asadov’s father-in-law. They would pay me monthly,” said Asadov.

General Hilal Asadov’s wife, Nushaba Asadova, confirmed the testimony she gave during the investigation.

The trial will be resumed on June 7.

Nushaba Asadova said in her testimony during the investigation that her father Anvar Mammadov wanted to buy the “8km Bazaar” in late 2005 and early 2006. “My husband Hilal Asadov told my father that the bazaar was put on sale. His money was not enough. Hilal gave him 80,000 dollars. My father bought half of the bazaar and registered it in his name. Another half of the bazaar was bought by Elshan Huseynov,” she noted.

Asadova added that later his father presented her the bazaar. “I don’t know whom the bazaar was bought from, and how they have registered it. Neither Hilal, nor my father told me anything. They brought documents on registering half of bazaar in my name and I signed them. 50 percent is registered in the name of Akif Chovdarov’s daughter Aida Chovdarov. Though we were the owners, the bazaar was headed by Elshan Huseynov,” she added.

Akif Chovdarov faces charges under Articles 145.3 (illegal deprivation of freedom of a person, causing to the death of the victim or other serious consequences by negligence), 179.3.1, 179.3.2 (embezzlement or waste by an organized group on a large scale), 181.3.1, 181.3.2 (robbery committed by an organized group in order to seize the property on a large scale), 182.3.1, 182.3.2 (extortion, committed by an organized group in order to obtain property on a large scale), 228.4 (illegal purchase, selling or carrying of gas weapon, cold steel, including throwing weapon), 302.1, 302.2 (implementation operative - search actions by not authorized persons, as well as implementation of these actions by authorized persons, but without grounds provided by the legislation, entailed essential, and the same acts committed with use of special means, intended for secret dredging the information), 311.3.1, 311.3.2, 311.3.3, 311.3.4 (bribe-taking by a group of persons on preliminary arrangement, committed repeatedly on a large scale with the use of threats), 313 (service forgery), 341.2.1, 341.2.2, 241.2.3 (abusing authority, excess or inactivity of authority committed by a group of persons, committed with the use of weapons, resulted in grave consequences) of the Criminal Code. The former head of the first department of the ministry’s main directorate Salim Mammadov is charged under articles 145.3, 179.3.1, 179.3.2, 181.3.1, 181.3.2, 182.3.1, 182.3.2, 302.1, 302.2, 311.3.1, 311.3.2, 311.3.3, 311.3.4, 313, 341.2.1, 341.2.2 and 341.2.3; the former head of the second department Akif Aliyev is charged under articles 145.3, 179.3.1, 179.3.2, 181.3.1, 181.3.2, 182.3.1, 182.3.2, 302.2, 311.3.1, 311.3.2, 311.3.3, 311.3.4, 313, 341.2.1, 341.2.2 and 341.2.3; the former deputy head of the first division of the third department Orkhan Osmanov is charged under 145.3, 181.3.1, 181.3.2, 182.3.1, 182.3.2, 302.2, 311.3.1, 311.3.2, 311.3.3, 311.3.4, 341.2.1, 341.2.2 and 341.2.3.

The court ordered seizure on property and cash worth of 33,466,000, trade and service sectors, greenhouses, aquaculture farms and other property complexes, land plots worth of 8,967,000 manats, private houses, apartments and vehicles worth of 24,445,000 manats, jewelry worth of 37,000 manats belonging to the accused persons –- Akif Chovdarov, Salim Mammadov, Akif Aliyev and Orkhan Osmanov to compensate damage caused to the aggrieved persons.