Akif Chovdarov's trial continues

Akif Chovdarov
# 15 May 2017 12:30 (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 (MNS), and other people arrested alongside him.

Defendant Salim Mammadov’s lawyer Javid Rzazade did not take part in the trial, presided over by Baku Military Court Chairman Habib Hasanov, as he underwent surgery.

Addressing the trial, a public prosecutor said that if a lawyer cannot attend a trial for a valid reason for more than 10 days, then a new lawyer should be appointed and the trial should be continued. The prosecutor said that some episodes of the case can be investigated as they are not related to Salim Mammadov.

Akif Chovdarov’s lawyer Kamandar Nasibov said that if some episodes of the case are not related to Salim Mammadov, then why his defendant and others are accused of having created an organized group.

Salim Mammadov refused a new lawyer.

Speaking at the trial, Akif Chovdarov refused to comment on the issue. “If I say something, then it will be reported that Akif Chovdarov’s affiliates have beaten attorney Javid Rzazade,” he said.

Chovdarov dismissed reports of network of agents as groundless. “Prosecuting and investigative authorities cannot jointly do 10 percent of what Elchin Behbudov did for Azerbaijan. All are spreading reports they want about the trial. What will happen if I mention names? If I speak, there will be civil war, unrest. What will the statements on current officials lead to? Indicating the agents in the indictment runs contrary to statehood. Who will work for the state from now on? It is undermining the statehood,” he added.

The trial will proceed on May 24.

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.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED