Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 13

Trend:

During the investigation conducted by the General Directorate for Combating Corruption under the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, it was established that officials of the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan misappropriated nearly 95 million manats, said the message of the Prosecutor General's Office.

The message said that senior officials of the ministry, its departments, subordinate enterprises and related structures created a corruption system that implemented various schemes for the systematic misappropriation and embezzlement of state property and budget funds.

During the investigation it was established that the director general of Baku Telephone Network Production Association Beytullah Huseynov in 2009-2015 entered into a criminal conspiracy with Bayram Veliyev, the director of the "Baki Rabite Təmir Tikinti" and "Temir Techizat Servis" companies founded by his wife, and the director of "3 nomreli Rabite Temir Tikinti" Ltd. and "Rabite Mulki Tikinti" Ltd. Emin Mammadov, handed them over a project for laying the new telephone lines and installation of new equipment. In accordance with the agreement concluded between them, 35-45 percent of funds transferred to the accounts of these companies had to be returned in cash to Beytullah Huseynov.

Then Beyullah Huseynov, abusing official powers and organizing sham tenders issued forged documents, which indicated that the work for laying the fiber-optic lines for the Internet was conducted by subordinated companies, whilein fact this work wascarried out by local telephone networks. In the result of this fraud, Beytullah Huseynov misappropriated 21.37 million manats from 71.26 million manats transferred to the accounts of companies controlled by him.

In addition, investigators have reasons to suspect that the chief of staff of the ministry Vidadi Zeynalov, processing government orders for companies associated with him and increasing their value by 4-5 times, misappropriated 73.59 million manats.

The head of Baku Telephone Network Production Association Beytullah Huseynov, chief accountant of the production association Anar Mustafayev, the director of "3 nomreli Rabite Temir Tikinti" Ltd. and "Rabite Mulki Tikinti" Ltd. Emin Mammadov, the director of "Baki Rabite Temir Tikinti" Ltd. and "Temir Techizat Servis" Ltd. Bayram Veliyev, as well as the chief accountant of "Aztelekom" Ltd. Oktay Rustamov were 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 Republic.

Head of the ministry Vidadi Zeynalov, director general of "AzİnTelekom" Ltd. Jalil Jafarov, the director general of "Azerpocht" Ltd. Gambar Beybalayev, director of "Optik Rabite, Tikinti ve Qurashdirma" Ltd. Namazaly Mammadov faced charges under articles 179.3.2 and 308.2, while the chief accountant of this company Sahrab Qumbatov was charged under articles 179.3.2, 308.2 and 313. Arrest has been chosen as a measure of restraint with respect to all those persons.

Currently, experts of the ministries of taxation and finance conduct inspection in the above mentioned public and private enterprises and companies.

Operational and investigative measures to identify the full range of participants of the corruption system and assess the inflicted damage, as well as to compensate for the damage inflicted and determine the plundered property continue.