Baku’s Sabunchu district court on Monday continued 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 of Azerbaijan, and others arrested alongside him.
The testimony of Fikrat Ibrahimov, founder of Suleyman Transport LLC, to the preliminary investigation was read out.
Then, Ibrahimov’s business partner Vidadi Huseynov testified, noting that he witnessed Ibrahimov’s giving 40,000 manats to a ministry employee.
“Fikrat was with me, then he got off his car and got into a black car. I followed that car. Fikrat returned and said he gave 40,000 manats to him,” he added.
In their testimonies, two other witnesses said they didn’t see Ibrahimov’s giving money to Anar Abdiyev.
The trial will be resumed on Dec. 21.
***
14:19
Baku’s Sabunchu district court on Monday continued 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 of Azerbaijan, and others arrested alongside him.
Fikrat Ibrahimov, founder of Suleyman Transport LLC, gave testimony in the trial that was held closed to the press, APA reported.
He confirmed his testimony to preliminary investigation that the ministry’s officials seized a large amount of money from him.
According to the testimony, Ibrahimov gave 300,000 manats to Vidadi Huseynov, whom he knew through a friend, becoming a shareholder in a Gala LCC-owned quarry at the Valvala River in Guba district. He received a call from a secret number while in Kazakhstan in 2014. The caller who presented himself as Mubariz said he worked for the national security ministry and told him to come to the ministry immediately. Fikrat Ibrahimov came from Kazakhstan the following day and visited the ministry. Mubariz told him that he was an employee of Akif Chovdarov.
Fikrat Ibrahimov said Mubariz began receiving information from him about Suleyman Transport LLC and Gala LLC as well as their activities, revenues, directors, and founders.
“Mubariz said we had problems with foreign cargo delivery and that we were guilty of crimes. He questioned me about Rashad Babazade, the owner of the cargo company. I said Rashad is a friend of an acquaintance of mine. I added that he worked with us since 2011 but left us afterwards, so I had no idea of what he was doing. Mubariz asked why I named the company Suleyman Transport. He was asking primitive questions. He got angry when I laughed and said I was unaware of the ministry’s power. About an hour later, he came to me with Rashad who also told what I said. Mubariz called someone to the room. After a while, Akif Aliyev came in. He asked several questions, blackmailing that he would arrest me and Vidadi Huseynov after investigating the case. After taking my explanation, Mubariz released me at about 6:00 p.m and told me to come to the ministry the next day,” he added.
The aggrieved person noted that he called his business partner Vidadi Huseynov on the same day after leaving the ministry.
“I called Vidadi, and he said he was in Germany. I told him that the ministry was carrying out an inspection in the company. He told nothing. Mubariz called me to the ministry three days. Later, he called me to meet outside the polyclinic nearby the ministry. He asked for 30,000 manats. He said if I didn’t give the money, I would be arrested. We talked and agreed on 12,000 manats. Then I went to my friend Bahram who had been a police chief. I asked him to come with to give the money. The next day, I drove to a parking lot in front of the ministry. I called Mubariz. He came down. I gave him 12,000 manats wrapped in newspaper,” he said.
Fikrat Mammadov continued: “Then, ministry colonel Akif Aliyev called me to his room and threatened me. When Akif entered the room, he began to accuse me of informing others about giving him money. He said that I committed fraud on behalf of the ministry. A few days later, Akif Aliyev again invited me to the ministry. Aliyev said you had to give 100,000 manats for being forgiven by Akif Chovdarov. I said I don’t have such amount of money. We have agreed on 50,000 manats. I collected 40,000 manats and called Anar. We met outside school No.20 located near the ministry. I gave him the money, Anar called Akif Aliyev and they gave me a few days for giving remaining 10,000 manats. Three or four days later, Anar again called me and remembered that I had to give 10,000 manats. The next day, I gave him the money wrapped in newspaper.”
Fikrat Ibrahimov noted that the man by name Mubariz, who took 12,000 manats from him for the first time, was Orkhan Osmanov, former chief of three departments of the main energy and transport security directorate. “I was shown various photos, the man I knew as Mubariz turned out to be Orkhan Osmanov,” he concluded.
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.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
