Defense Speaks at Trial of Former Head of International Bank

The Court of Grave Crimes completed the trial of the former chief of the International Bank Jahangir Hajiyev and 7 more accused.

Today started last speech of the defense which reiterated that in fact there is no crime and it should be considered as a civil case.

"The charges against Hajiyev of fraud and embezzlement by an organized group are totally unfounded, and the investigation did not provide any evidence of a single organized group,” the lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev told Turan and asked to acquit Jahangir Hajiyev.

After lunch the defense speech will continue.

Recall that a week ago, a speech was made by the Prosecutor Farid Nagiyev. He asked to condemn Hajiyev to 17 years in prison.

The prosecutor also urged to condemn for long terms the other seven defendants in the case: Ilgar Abdullayev - 8 years, Yusif Alekperov - 11 years, Ibrahim Huseynov - 11 years, Anar Sultanov - 8 years, Mohammad Jahangirov - 8 years, Kanan Orujov – 7.5 years, Azad Javadov - 12 years and 11 months.

The prosecutor said the fraud and theft also involved the wife of the head of the International Bank Zamina Hajiyeva, who is hiding abroad.

The public prosecutor also requested the confiscation of the jewelry arrested from Hajiyev’s apartment in favor of the International Bank.

* Along with Hajiyev before court are the former leaders of IBA subsidiaries: Anar Sultanov, Yusuf Alekperov, Ilgar Abdullayev, Kanan Orujov and Mahammad Jahangirov, as well as the former director of the Baku plant for the processing of nuts Azad Javadov. They are charged under articles 179.3.1, 179.3.2 (embezzlement on a large scale by an organized group), 308.2 (abuse of power, resulting in grave consequences), 309.2 (abuse of power, resulting in grave consequences), 313 (forgery), 228.1 and 228.4 (illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation or carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies) of the Criminal Code.

Hajiyev resigned as head of the IBA on 18 March 2015 "for health reasons". After this a number of former high-ranking employees of IBA and businessmen who had received large loans from the bank were arrested. According to unofficial data, the amount of bad loans in the IBA reached 6 billion dollars. Hajiyev himself was summoned for questioning following the resignation of the head of the MNS and his close relative Eldar Mahmudov on October 17. On December 5 Hajiyev was arrested. According to the lawyer, he was charged with the assignment of 42 million manats, which was returned to the state in the form of shares of the bank for 80 million AZN. -16 / 36D-