The Baku Court of Grave Crimes on Wednesday continued the trial in the criminal case involving Vidadi Zeynalov, former head of the Office of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, and other people arrested alongside him.
Defendant Vidadi Zeynalov waived his right to give testimony, saying he needs some time to review materials of his case.
Vuqar Babayev, an official of the Ministry of Communication and High-Technologies, said a civil lawsuit filed against the defendants amounts to 153,346 manats.
Witness Ramil Aliyev said he was the driver of imprisoned Subahir Gurbanov, who was the former general of the liquidated National Security Ministry, adding that Vidadi Zeynalov is the only defendant he knows. He said he would deliver a package of monthly funds from Vidadi Zeynalov to Subahir Gurbanov. Defendant Vidadi Zeynalov admitted to having given money to Ramil Aliyev.
Witness Ragifa Abbasova said she worked as department head of the ministry’s financial stability board. Abbasova said she monthly received 900 manats, then the amount of the money was increased to 1,100 manats.
Other witness Matanat Mammadova confirmed the testimony she had given during the preliminary investigation. Mammadova said she was monthly given a package of 6,000 manats by Vidadi Zeynalov.
In his testimony, witness Abbas Ahmadov said he was head of Technical Department of Baku Telephone Network Production Association, noting that he received no package of money.
The trial will be resumed on Dec. 16.
A series of investigative operations had discovered that in 2009-2015, the director general of Baku Telephone Network Production Association Beytulla Huseynov, entered into a criminal conspiracy with the director of “Bakı Rabite Temir Tikinti” and “Temir Techizat Servis” companies Bayram Valiyev, the director of "3 nomreli Rabite Temir Tikinti” and “Rabite Mulki Tikinti” companies Emin Mammadov and the chief accountant of the Baku Telephone Network Production Association Anar Mustafayev, gave them a project for the implementation of works on the new telephone lines and installation of new equipment. According to the agreement concluded between them, 35-45% are listed on the accounts of these companies means then had to be returned in cash to Beytullah Huseynov. After that Beytullah Huseynov, abusing official powers and organizing sham tenders issued forged documents, which indicated that the work for the fiber-optic lines for the Internet were carried out by companies controlled by him, though in reality, these works were carried out by local telephone networks. Because of these machinations Beytulla Huseynov misappropriated 21,379,000 of 71,263 million manats, transfers to accounts controlled by him LLC. However, investigators have reason to suspect that the Chief of Staff of the Ministry Vidadi Zeynalov, processing government orders to close the company itself and increasing their value by 4-5 times, misappropriated 73.59 million manats.
The investigation revealed cases of appropriation of budgetary funds and forgery in “Aztelekom” LLC, “AzÄ°nTelekom” LLC, Center for information and calculations, “Optik Rabite Tikinti ve Qurashdırma”.
The director general of Baku Telephone Network Production Association Beytulla Huseynov, the director of “Bakı Rabite Temir Tikinti” and “Temir Techizat Servis” companies Bayram Valiyev, the director of "3 nomreli Rabite Temir Tikinti” and “Rabite Mulki Tikinti” companies Emin Mammadov and the chief accountant of the Baku Telephone Network Production Association Anar Mustafayev are charged under articles 179.3.2 (embezzlement on a large scale), 308.2 (abuse of power) and 313 (forgery) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
The head of the ministry’s Office Vidadi Zeynalov, the director general of AzInTelekom LLC Jalil Jafarov, the director general of Azerpocht LLC Gambar Beybalayev face charges under articles 179.3.2 and 308.2. A preventive measure in the form of arrest has been chosen against all of those persons.