In the court on heavy crimes of the Azerbaijan Republic under the chairmanship of the judge Togik Pashayev a court process on the head of the chemistry department of the Baku State University (BSU) Muhammad Babanli started. Babanly who has been working as the head of the department since 1994 is charged by the Article 311 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (receiving bribes).
The state prosecutor Shahin Ragimov noted the charged took 6,000 USD from the resident of Baku Elnara Sadigova with the purpose of arranging her to one of the higher educational institutions abroad followed by her transfer to the chemical department of the Baku
University later. The officers of the Ministry of the National Security (MNS) entered the room at the moment of handing over the money to Babanli and during the search of the premises they found a suitcase with money.
Babanli stated in the court he had got acquainted with Sadigiva through her old acquaintance Alikram Asadov who asked him to arrange the girl in one of the higher educational institutions and noted at the court that he had not demanded any bribes for that. The judge Tofig Pashayev got interested, whether the defendant was exerted pressure during the investigation. The reply was negative. In his evidences Babanli denies receiving bribes.
The court will last on 28 September 2005.