Businessman Accuses Head of Geranboy

The Chief Executive of Geranboy Nizamaddin Guliyev settles scores with businessman Mugais Verdiyev and his son Anar Verdiyev.

By order of the district administration, M. Verdiyev was arrested on charges of embezzling public funds. Furthermore, against him and his son a lawsuit was filed in private prosecution to bring about the charges of criminal libel and insult. The lawyer Adem Mammadov said this at a press conference. According to him, Verdiyev completed work on the improvement of the district at 256,000 manats. However, the authorities paid him only 100,000 manats. The businessman's trying to achieve the full payment caused the pressure on him.

On March 7 Verdiyev was arrested under article 308 "abuse of power". Verdiyev was accused of non-conclusion of labor contracts with his workers. Moreover, the arrest followed the day of death of the businessman's mother and he was not even allowed to bury her.

Subsequently, the charge was changed to Article 179.3.2 (misappropriation and embezzlement on a large scale), meaning 25,000 manats. But it's absurd, because there is no documentary evidence of receipt of any funds.

During the first 9 months of the investigation by the management of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor General's Office, no investigation was ever carried out.

According to the lawyer, on behalf of the deputy head of Geranboy Abdullayev a lawsuit was filed on bringing about a private prosecution for criminal libel and insult with regard to Verdiyev and his son Anar Verdiyev. In particular, the plaintiff saw an insult in publications on the websites Pia.az, tia.az and http://bolgexeber.com in July this year. Moreover, in these publications Verdiyev voiced the thoughts of his father. The lawyer believes the pursuit of both the father and son Verdiyev is illegal.

Our attempts to get a comment from the Goranboy head were to no avail. -06C-