Former Accountants of Lyceum of Ali Hasanov�s Wife Go on Hunger Strike

Baku / 10.03.19 / Turan: On October 2, the Baku Serious Crimes Court chaired by Azer Pashayev held a regular meeting on the case of the appropriation of 564 thousand manats at the Lyceum of the Caspian School LLC.

The accused in the case are two accountants of the lyceum - Tural Mammadov and Farahim Mohbaliyev. They were arrested on the basis of a complaint from the founder of the Lyceum, Sona Veliyeva, the wife of the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Ali Hasanov, and charged under Art. 179.4 of the Criminal Code (large assignment).

During the meeting, both defendants went on a hunger strike, sending testaments to their parents. They point out in them that under the pressure of Ali Hasanov, their case in court is being considered unfairly. In the event of their death, they blame Ali Hasanov and his wife.

Both defendants reported that the head of the Baku pre-trial detention center, Elnur Aliyev, was officially notified of the start of the hunger strike.

The lawyers of the defendants on October 2 again petitioned to summon the founder of the Lyceum Sona Velieva to the court. They motivated this by the fact that the conclusion on the appropriation of 564 thousand manats was drawn up on the basis of the figures provided by her.

"For example, the audit report states that "in June the founder paid 100,000 manats", but how and for what she paid, was not specified. Serious charges were brought based on her words, but she was not even summoned for questioning, neither for the investigation, nor for the trial," said lawyer Elchin Sadigov.

Another lawyer Adem Mammadov also noted the need to call Veliyeva.

Judge Azer Tagiyev once again rejected the petition, which provoked the protests of the accused.

"At the first opportunity, I will kill myself, and Ali Hasanov and Sona Veliyeva will be guilty, and then you will also be to blame. You can"t be so unfair!" exclaimed Mohbaliyev.

Defendant Mammadov stated that last year from October 16 to 30 he was detained in the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs without any registration. "This lawlessness was committed by one call from Ali Hasanov. They seized 20,000 manat and a car worth 30,000 manat from me. Why is this not subtracted from the "assigned amount?" he said.

The defendants requested that the case be returned to the trial court, but this was not satisfied. Further, contrary to the protests of the accused, the completion of the judicial investigation was announced.

The next meeting is scheduled for October 11, when the state prosecutor will speak.

* As noted in the indictment, in April-October 2018, 1 million 366 thousand manat was paid for training 454 students. However, the chief accountant and accountant appropriated 564 thousand manats from the indicated amount, without entering them into the reports.

The chief accountant Mammadov partially pleaded guilty, saying that he had taken money for personal needs, but not 564 thousand, but 350 thousand manats. According to him, the founder Velieva invited him to take on the full amount, promising not to complain to the police. "Believing her, I wrote an explanatory and asked to give me 1 year to return the money," Mammadov said in court. Mohbaliyev pleaded not guilty. -21C-