Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 January / Тrend corr K. Zarbaliyeva / The preparatory hearing on the collapse of a building in Baku which killed 25 took place on 14 January.
The building which was under construction by the company Mutaffakir collapsed in Mukhtarov Street on 28 August 2007 at about 6.00pm. As a result, 25 died and five were injured.
The company's Engineer General, Askar Aliyev, Master Builders Farhad Hasanov and Gadir Salimov, Mursal Hasanov, architect Eldar Rahimov and the head of the housing department at the Baku Administration Akif Maharramov were all detained in connection with the incident.
They are accused of violation of safety regulations during construction, mining and other work, resulting in death and injury, as well as abuse of power.
Aliyev's attorney Alibala Rzayev petitioned to close the criminal case against his client. The attorneys of Salimov, Hasanov and Maharramov petitioned to change preventive punishment for their clients which is imprisonment.
The decision of the preparatory hearing will be declared at 2.00pm on 14 January.
On 19 November, the jailed Director General of Mutafakkir, Ali Muradov died in the hospital of the Penitentiary Service due to heart failure. After his death the criminal case against him was closed.