National Council Called on Prosecutor`s Office to Investigate "Panama Documents"

The National Council of Democratic Forces appealed to the Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov calling on Azerbaijan to investigate the materials of the so-called "Panama documents."

"The National Council demands that the public prosecutor conduct an investigation, and then inform the public about the progress and results of the investigation," the head of the National Council Jamil Hasanli said.

The appeal also states that neither Ilham Aliyev nor Mehriban Aliyeva in their declarations at the time of the presidential elections (2008 and 2013) and parliamentary elections (2005, 2010, 2015) specified the income from offshore companies and assets registered in Panama and in the Virgin Islands. According to the electoral law of Azerbaijan, it is a serious legal basis for cancellation of the results of presidential and parliamentary elections.

If the property and income had been declared in the declarations, the fact that they are being hidden from the society poses a serious legal and political responsibility for the Central Election Commission, the statement said.

In his address he reminded that on April 5, 2016 the authoritative British newspaper The Guardian published an article titled London Law Firm Helped Azerbaijan's First Family Set up Secret Offshore Firm. It is said the Aliyev family through secret offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands bought property for millions of GBP.

In particular, it is reported about the acquisition of villas for 17 million GBP in the names of Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva in London. Illegal transactions and transfers of funds were carried out by means of Ata Holding, owned by the Minister of Taxes of Azerbaijan Fazil Mammadov.

According to the British newspaper, Mammadov controls funds of up to $ 600 million. He is a banker of the Aliyev family. This became known after the leak to the press of the documents of the Panamanian company Mossack Fonseca.

According to these documents, several companies belonging to Ilham Aliyev’s children are registered in Panama. These companies acquired expensive real estate at different times and invested heavily in various companies in the West.

Such business activities of the President, his wife and children are contrary to the laws of Azerbaijan, are tax evasion and should be given a legal assessment.

Participation in such operations of members of the ruling family and the Minister of Taxes of Azerbaijan is an unprecedented phenomenon. This fact of corruption requires a serious assessment and the public of Azerbaijan is to get clear answers on the revealed facts, the statement says. -03D-