Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. 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 with victims' testimonies at the Court of Heinous Crimes presided over by Judge Tofik Pashayev.
Twenty-seven victims, disabled by the Chernobyl calamity and the Karabakh war, originating from Bilasuvar, Beylagan, Agdam, Agsu and Salyan regions of Azerbaijan, provided their testimonies regarding the privatization of vouchers they were to receive that were assigned by the President's decree.
The witnesses said that they appealed to local banks for receiving their vouchers from August to November 2004, but instead of vouchers they were offered only 20,000 old mantas. Perceiving the cash substitute as an insult, the victims refused the money. The witnesses demanded the Court provide them with their vouchers which were appropriated by Farhad Aliyev.
During the hearing, Farhad Aliyev noted that he supported the victims' demand of investigating how the vouchers had been used instead of being distributed among citizens.
Elton Guliyev, the Lawyer of Aliyev, petitioned the corresponding bodies, requiring that they grant him the list of citizens registered in 2004 during the time of receiving vouchers. The Court did not consider the petition.
The trial will continue on 25 June.