The Baku Court of Appeal held on Tuesday a preliminary hearing on the appeals filed by Vidadi Zeynalov, former head of the Office of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, and other people arrested alongside him against the court decision.
Mahammad Mahammadov, one of the defendants, sent to the court a telegram informing of his unwillingness to take part in the hearing, APA reported.
Another defendant Bayram Valiyev did not participate in the hearing either.
His lawyer said that Valiyev is absent due to health problems.
Vidadi Zeynalov’s lawyer Jeyhun Yusifov, who spoke at the hearing, asked the court to ensure the presence of the defendants in the hearing.
The court considered it appropriate to hold the hearing with the presence of all the accused persons.
The hearing will be resumed on Oct. 24.
The appeals filed by the defendants seek their acquittal. In the appeal, Vidadi Zeynalov asked the court to remove the arrest on the property of him and his family members.
Among the defendants, Gadim Baybalayev did not file an appeal.
Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Vidadi Zeynalov, former head of the Office of the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies and director general of Baku Telephone Network Production Association Beytulla Huseynov each to 13 years in prison, Director of “Optik Rabite Tikinti ve Qurashdırma” LLC Namazali Mammadov to 11 years, Emin mamadov to 10 years, Anar Mustafayev to 5 years and Gambar Baybalayev to 3 years in prison.
The court sentenced mahammad Mammadov, Oktay Rustamov, Sahlab Humbatov, jalil Jafarov, Bayram Valiyev each to 2-year probation and they were released from the courtroom.
The court decided to received a total of funds in the amount of 119 million 468 thousand manats from them and transfer to the balance of the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies.
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 head of the ministry’s Office, 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.
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