Incident

An Azerbaijani court on Monday resumed 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 with him.

During the trial, witness Rauf Sultanov testified, saying they had complained to the MNS about Nasib Aliyev’s swindles. The latter then gave them apartments. Following the trial, victim Jahangir Alishov also spoke to reporters, saying the court is investigating all the episodes.

“I suffered a total of 6,322,000 manats of damage. Another 60 people were also considered victims. Who needs a guide when the mountain is visible? This crime has taken place. Akid Chovdarov first faked sick but nowadays he’s become active. What seems to be the case is that his attorneys have assured him. We hope the damage will be compensated for. Akif Chovdarov pressured me, threatening to beat and arrest me. I suffered psychological harm. That’s the way he appropriated our property. The crimes were proved. He confessed to some [of his crimes] and kept silent about others,” he said.

The trial will be resumed on March 1.

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14:34

An Azerbaijani court on Monday resumed 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.

At the trial presided over by Baku Military Court chairman Habib Hasanov, Akif Chovdarov’s lawyers filed a petition asking the registry book of “Yeni Yasamal” housing-construction cooperative to be presented at the trial. The court upheld the petition.

Some witnesses who purchased apartments from “Yeni Yasamal” housing-construction cooperative testified at the trial.

Later, Nadir Feyziyev gave a testimony as an aggrieved person. He refuted the testimony he had given during the investigation. According to the witness, he told the investigation that the person who detained him in the MNS was Ali Nabiyev. The witness was confronted with Nabiyev at the trial. Feyziyev said that Nabiyev is not the person who detained him, and he doesn’t remember the persons who detained him and demanded an apartment and money.

Chovdarov’s lawyers asked defendant Jahangir Alishov how he contacted to Chovdarov. He said he contacted him by phone. The lawyers said that there had been no phone conversation between them until 2014.

Chovdarov commented on his testimony, noting that Alishov is lying.

“They are like carrion birds and want to take advantage of the situation. A criminal case has been field against Jahangir Alishov. He was involved in this matter to avoid his arrest,” Chovdarov said.

The trial will proceed later in the day.

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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