Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend E.Javadova / The criminal trial involving Azerbaijan's former Minister of Economic Development, Farhad Aliyev, his brother Rafik Aliyev, former President of the Azpetrol Group of Companies, and seventeen other people, continues at the Court of Heinous Crimes presided by Judge Tofik Pashayev.
Elshad Abbasov, the former assistant of the ex-Minister, provided evidence confirming that Ismail Mansimov, the Director of the Department of the Ministry of Economic Development, gave him $50,000 every month for distribution among department officials, in addition to wages. The convicted noted that every month he received an illegal fee amounting to $2,000 apart from his wage.
Mirmajid Ahmadov, the former Chief of the Land Department of the Ministry, charged with participation in illegal privatization of 105 facilities and properties, testified that he only participated in the privatization of ninety of those facilities. He transferred the fee, which he received from illegal privatizations of the facilities, to the Central Administration of the Ministry on Economic Development, specifically to Farhad Aliyev. The convicted also has noted that he did not receive any part of the sum.
Presently, the hearing continues with regards to the testimony of Maarif Gurbanov, the former Deputy Director of the Department on Regulation and Privatization of the State Property. Gurbanov is charged with receiving bribes and falsifying documents during the privatization process.