A member of FETÖ against Gubad Ibadoglu, an accusation of selling counterfeit money. Is there any truth in this?

Baku/26.07.23/Turan: Reports emerged on July 23 about an operation conducted in Azerbaijan against FETÖ, resulting in the detention of four individuals. Among those apprehended was Doirush Jafarov, identified as one of the former leaders responsible for FETÖ's financial affairs in Azerbaijan, along with Gumrah Abdurakhmanov, director of the center called Yurd Ruslan Aliyev, and Anar Aliyev, who was allegedly in charge of organizational matters. Subsequently, Gubad Ibadoglu, the chairman of the Azerbaijani Democracy and Welfare Party, was also taken into custody, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs indicating that he is suspected of having links with FETÖ.

According to information provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Anar Aliyev, arrested as a member of FETÖ, purportedly stated during questioning that Gubad Ibadoglu had sold him counterfeit dollars. This allegation led to a search of the economist's office, where it was claimed that 40,000 counterfeit dollars were found. However, during his court appearance, Gubad Ibadoglu vehemently denied any knowledge of Anar Aliyev and refuted the charges.

Human rights activist Rufat Safarov discussed the case on the program "Difficult Question," expressing his belief that the accusations against Gubad Ibadoglu are baseless. He pointed out that while the initial report suggested a link to FETÖ, the charges brought against Ibadoglu were under Article 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code, relating to the manufacture, acquisition, or sale of counterfeit money by an organized group. According to Safarov, it remains unclear why, in a modern world with abundant banking services available, Ibadoglu, a vocal critic of the authorities, would keep money in his office, fully aware of potential persecution.

Safarov also mentioned that Gubad Ibadoglu's brother, Ghalib Bayramov, reported a previous break-in at Gubad's office, with traces of forced entry found on the door lock. This led to the activist's suspicion that the operatives could have planted the 40,000 dollars on Gubad to justify his detention.

The circumstances surrounding Gubad Ibadoglu's arrest have raised questions and concerns, with activists and some members of the public questioning the credibility of the charges and the possibility of ulterior motives behind the operation.