Bank of Baku takes the same path as former Texnika Bank?

In recent days, the media actively circulated all sorts of allegations about one of the leading retail banks in Azerbaijan OJSC Bank of Baku.

So earlier this month, mass media reported about the arrest of the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank of Baku, Elchin Isayev. Later Isayev denied the arrest and added that he had a reasonable suspicion of illegal entry in the bank, and on the basis of his appeal MNS had a proper check. As a result of the audit, it was found that a number of persons illegally entered into the operating system of the bank.

According to the information-analytical and monitoring portal haqqin.az, a source close to law enforcement agencies of Azerbaijan states that the statement Isayev on operational activities in connection illegal entry into the operating system does not correspond to reality. Investigation conducted in connection with the Iranian and trace illegal money laundering, particularly in community with himself Reza Zarrabi. According to the information portal of the same owner "Bank of Baku" is the husband of the sister of the Iranian Azerbaijani Zarrabi Rza - Shahram. Owner of the bank was also involved in money laundering in Iranian Azerbaijan, which attracted the attention of the Azerbaijani special services.

As disclosed in November 2010 network project Wikileaks secret correspondence from former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse , the latter shared the suspicions of money laundering assistance from Iran several Azerbaijani banks , including Bank of Baku, Bank Melli Iran, Xalq Bank and Royal Bank of Baku. In particular, in one of the service messages to Washington 's former ambassador noted, "The Iranian contact said that his friend had recently witnessed the transfer Adil Shahrabiani (former manager of Bank Melli Iran) $ 5 million in cash "from Iran" in the Bank of Baku, which were not registered in books. " Appear in correspondence Royal Bank, already in 2012 was deprived of banking license.

In parallel, mass media license revocation Bank of Baku, the truth just a day Central Bank of Azerbaijan has officially denied this information.

But it seems a debate in the banking environment will not soon fade away . According to the latest allegations chairman Farid Huseynov taken into custody, and was succeeded by his now former CEO of International Bank of Azerbaijan Elmir Gabibullayev.

The press service of the International Bank declined to comment on the appointment of Elmir Gabibullayev as chairman of Bank of Baku, while noting that the person at the moment is the CEO of the bank.

The press officer of Bank of Baku asked half an hour to clarify, but after an hour our repeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

If recent conversations around the Bank of Baku, in the end, it will be valid assignment managers IBA headed "problem" banks, it seems, is becoming a trend. In early 2012, high-ranking officials of the then Texnika Bank and headed by the chairman of the Supervisory Board and shareholder of the bank were taken to custody. For a couple of months several extraordinary meetings of shareholders have updated the board and the supervisory board , which included senior members of IBA . Later subjected to change and the shareholders of the bank, in particular the chairman of the supervisory board lost their 15 percent. -15B -