Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. E.Javadova / The 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.
The academician Nizami Suleymanov gave evidence as a victim. He spoke of the privatization of Cristal Scientific Institution in cooperation with several companions. However, some time later, the Property Committee notified of the cancellation of the privatization.
Suleymanov was told that Farhad Aliyev wished to meet with him. During the meeting, Aliyev demanded Suleymanov sell the institution for $400,000 otherwise the privatization would be annulled. "Later I heard that Aliyev sold the institution for $2 mln. Therefore, I demanded Aliyev give me $1.6 mln, but he only gave $250,000 to me," Suleymanov said.
He demanded Aliyev provide $1.35 mln in material damages and AZN 5 mln for damage to his scientific activity.
Then fifteen victims, disabled by the Chernobyl calamity and the Karabakh war, 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 to receive 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.
The trial continues.