BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 25. The petition of the investigator in a criminal case opened by the Azerbaijani State Security Service against the head of the department for regulating customs tariffs and payments of the State Customs Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Mansur Asgarov was considered, Trend reports on November 25.
By the decision of the Sabail District Court dated November 24, a measure of restraint in the form of arrest for four months was chosen against Asgarov who attended the court session with his lawyer.
As a result of the investigation of the criminal case, embezzlement on an especially large scale was revealed. Asgarov is accused of embezzlement of public funds in the amount of 132 million manat ($77.6 million) in collusion with a group of people.
The officials of the State Customs Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic are accused of creating a second, informal system of collecting fees for goods imported without clearance bypassing the central electronic system of processing state customs duties.
Further details about the course of the criminal case are being specified.