Misappropriation of 143 million in the Ministry of Finance: “The chief said that…” – 2024-04-03 18:18:08

Major General Nizami Mammadov, the former head of the Finance and Budget Department of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Jalal Kazimov, the former head of the Financial Service of the Air Force, Bayram Bayramov, the head of the financial department of the Land Forces, and Vusal Alizade, the former head of the financial service of the Navy, were arrested for embezzlement. trial was held.

Publika.az reports that the witnesses testified in the trial held at the Baku Military Court chaired by judge Fikret Aliyev.

Witness Fariz Nabiyev said that the head of finance worked in one of the military units of the Ministry of Defense. Currently, the head of the department is working. Between 2017 and 2022, about 740,000 manats were embezzled in the military unit where he worked:

“I received 335,000 manats of this money, and I gave the rest to Yashar Rzayev, the finance chief of the corps. The boss came and said that you should give me 50 percent of the money. I have paid 243,000 manats of the part of the embezzled money to the budget, and I will pay the rest in the near future.”

Nazim Suleymanov, the witness who worked as the financial chief of the military unit of the Navy and chief inspector of the Ministry of Defense at that time, said that he participated in the financial audit of two military units. According to him, 1 million shortages were found in one of those military units:

“When a shortage was discovered, we took our share and left. We gave the money to the people named by Rafael Khalafov. I have about 350,000 manats left. A shortage of 649,000 manats was found in the second military unit. I got 420 thousand manats from this money. I have fully paid my share of the damage caused to the state.”

He added that he was the head of financial services in the corps in 2019-2021. Rafail Khalafov, head of the inspection department of the finance and budget department, gave 1 million 80 thousand manats. When confronted with R. Khalafov, he refused to pay the amount he was responsible for.

Witness Emin Huseynov, who currently works as a financial service chief in one of the military units, said that he worked in 3 military units during the inspection period. There was a shortage of 169,000 manats in the first military unit, and 505,000 manats in the other military unit.

“In another military unit where I worked, a shortage of 690,000 manats was discovered. I gave the remaining 105,000 manats in the current account to Hasan Pashayev, the head of the inspection department of the Finance and Budget Department.

He added that he gave 65 percent of the remaining money to Jalal Kazimov, and 35 percent remained for himself. In total, 350,000 manats were left for him from the money embezzled in all the military units where he worked, he paid 17,000 manats from the damage, and I will pay the rest soon.”

Witness Jamil Guliyev said that the head of the financial service was working at the time of the incident. During the inspection of the military unit where he worked, about 1 million deficiencies were found:

“I gave 60 percent of the money to Yashar Rzayev and Nazim Suleymanov, who worked as a corps commander at that time, and 290,000 manats remained for me. I paid 10,000 manats of that amount to the budget, and I will pay the rest in the near future.”

The process will continue on February 23.

It should be noted that Major General Nizami Mammadov, the former head of the Finance and Budget Department of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Jalal Kazimov, the former head of the Financial Service of the Air Force, Bayram Bayramov, the head of the financial department of the Ground Forces, Vusal Alizade, the officer of the financial department, Procurement of the Minister of Defense and the former head of the Supply Department, Colonel Mahir Shirvanov, as well as the former head of the Ministry’s Procurement and Supply Department Malikmammad Gurbanov, the former head of the Ministry’s Housing Operation Department, Colonel Fikret Mirzayev were detained as a result of a special operation conducted by the State Security Service.

The defendants are accused of embezzling money allocated from the state budget.
It should be noted that the total damage caused to the state in the criminal case is 143 million manats.

Criminal cases were sent to the court for consideration in separate proceedings.

40 million manats were paid for the total damage caused to the state during the investigation period.

The Ministry of Finance was recognized as a victim in the criminal case.
Each of the defendants was charged under Article 179.4 of the Criminal Code (committing fraud by causing a large amount of damage).