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Court continues trial of Azerbaijani ministryâ€™s ex-employees

30 November 2016 12:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Etibar Mammadov – APA. Baku’s Sabunchu district court held a hearing on Nov. 30 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 of Azerbaijan, and others arrested alongside him.

The trial was held closed the press.

Victim Zulfugarov Fuad, financial director of Met-ak company, gave testimony, confirming his testimony to preliminary investigation.

He said the company was founded by his uncle Alik Karimov in 1997 and Aydin Karimov became its executive director in 2012. He added that worked alongside his uncle since the company had been founded and then worked as financial director.

The victim said head of the main energy and transport security department of MNS Akif Aliyev used to call him to the ministry. “Each time he used to tell us that the financial issues had to be clarified.”

Zulfugarov said he got the consent of his uncle and came to the MNS early in the morning in February.

He was taken to the second floor by one of Akif Chovdarov’s employees. He was kept at the ministry till the evening and questioned several times.

“Akif Aliyev told me that I had been working for years, earning money, but hadn’t show respect towards the minister. He said I had never given money to Eldar Mahmudov. They threatened me with not allowing me to work unless I pay 50,000 manats. I said only my uncle Alik Karimov could make a decision on funds,” he said.

Zulfugarov said he talked with his uncle in the office next day, he said there was no irregularity in the activity of “Met-ak” company and wouldn’t pay any funds to the ministry. Karimov offered to pay 10,000 manats to Akif Aliyev to prevent any problem.

On Feb.11, Zulfugarov brought 10,000 manats from the cashbox of “Met-ak” company and gave the money to Akif Aliyev in “Sultan” café neat the ministry. Then Akif Aliyev didn’t bother him.

Then, witness Irada Valiyeva gave testimony on the episode of victim Shahmar Gurbanov. She said Gurbanov took 75,000 manats from her to give to the liquidated Ministry of National Security. “Then he repaid the money gradually,” she said.

A break was declared at the trial.

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.