Trial proceeds for Azerbaijani ministry’s ex-official accused of embezzlement

On 28 December 2016 the Baku Court of Grave Crimes continued the trial in the criminal case involving Vidadi Zeynalov, chief of the Office of the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, and other people arrested alongside him.

APA reports that witnesses gave testimony at the court hearing.

Witness Ramiz Guliyev said that he was engaged in construction work in Azerpoct LLC. He said that 35 percent of the funds allocated by the ministry for construction work have been given back.

Asgar Guliyev, ex-head of the branch No.1 of Azerpoct LLC, said that he hadn’t given money to Azerpoct Director General Gambar Baybalayev.

Subhan Kazimov, former deputy director of Azerpoct LLC, said that tenders were held among the companies specified by the ministry.

Jafar Namazov, former head of Transservis LLC, said in 2010 he was assigned to cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies.

“Upon request of a person, our company started repair work in a post office. Then we cooperated with Aztelekom. We gave 35 percent of the funds allocated for construction and repair work to chief accountant Ogtay Rustamov. Nearly 50,000 manats were allocated for this purpose. And I gave its 35 percent to Ogtay Rustamov. Later, I knew that the money was illegal,” he added.

The trial will be resumed on December 30, 2016.

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