Akif Chovdarov’s trial continues - UPDATED

Akif Chovdarov’s trial continues - <span style="color: red;">UPDATED
# 17 April 2017 17:00 (UTC +04:00)

Baku’s Sabunchu district court resumed after the break 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) of Azerbaijan, and other people arrested alongside him.

Victim Gadim Abilov gave testimony at the hearing.

Abilov claimed he gave 300,000 manats to Salim Mammadov, an employee of MNS.

The victim confirmed the testimony he gave during the preliminary investigation, noting that he met with Salim Mammadov on September 7, 2014 (at about 18:00-19:00pm).

Mammadov’s lawyer Javid Rzazade presented the inquiry he got from the State Security Service. According to the inquiry, Mammadov was at work on the mentioned time.

The trial will be resumed on April 19.

In his testimony during the investigation, Gadim Abilov said that Chovdarov beat and insulted him in the ministry.

“We went up to the 3rd floor, walked to the end of the corridor and entered the room.

Chovdarov, whom I have earlier seen just once, was sitting at the table. Natig Humbatov was sitting on his right and Salim Mammadov on his left. When I entered, Chovdarov stood up and started to punch and kick me without saying anything. When I wanted to resists, he tied me to a chair with a rubber rope. He took the rod and beat on my head and neck. I fainted. When I came to my sense, Chovdarov sat on his seat. He demanded me to give him 300 thousand dollars and my Range Rover car within a week. He showed me the two Makarov pistols he carried and said that otherwise, the pistols would be found on me and I would be thrown to the ministry’s basement.

***

14:18

Baku’s Sabunchu district 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) of Azerbaijan, and other people arrested alongside him.

Tofig Rajabov, who is recognized as a victim in the case, gave testimony on the episode of another victim Elchin Hajiyev, APA reported.

Rajabov said that MNS officers detained them in Nizami district, Baku when they were going to show a diamond to a man named Hasan.

“We were detained there and taken to the ministry. Later, Elchin told me that he gave money to some MNS officers. However, I did not see when he gave the money. Elchin said he was taken 80,000 manats. I didn’t believe him and therefore, our relationship was broken”, Rajabov said.

Chovdarov’s lawyers said that there are inconsistencies between his testimonies given during the investigation and the one he gave here.

Rajabov replied that during the investigation, he signed his testimony without reading.

In the courtroom Rajabov wrote down a statement that he had no demands.

The trial will continue in the afternoon.

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.

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED