On 27 September 2016, Baku Grave Crimes Court chaired by Judge Afgan Hajiyev held another hearing on the criminal case of the former chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan International Bank OJSC Jahangir Hajiyev and 7 other men. Public prosecutor Farid Nagiyev made a speech at the hearing stating that the charges had been proven and asking for a 17-year prison sentence for Jahangir Hajiyev.
The public prosecutor also asked the court to sentence the other seven defendants – Baku Hazelnut Factory’s former director Azad Javadov to 12 years and 11 months, General Director of Inter Security LLC, the company in charge of the protection of the Bank’s administrative buildings, Ibrahim Huseynov to 11 years, former directors of the Bank’s main branch Yusif Alakbarov and Anar Sultanov to 11 and eight years respectively, former head of the main branch Ilgar Abdullayev to eight years, AFB Bank OJSC’s Supervisory Board Mammad Jahangirov to eight years, and former director of the Bank’s transport branch Kanan Orujov to seven years and six months in prison.
Additionally, the public prosecutor requested that each of the defendants be deprived of the right to hold a senior position at government or local-self government agencies for 3 years.
The prosecutor also asked the court to order that the 110,000 AZN-worth watch and gold coins seized during the search of Jahangir Hajiyev’s house be confiscated and used towards paying off the damages associated with the case.
The representative of the International Bank, which has been recognised as the victim in the case, asked the court to grant the civil claim for damages in the amount of 211 million AZN from the defendants collectively.
The defendants’ lawyers requested time to prepare for defence speeches.
The next hearing of the court was set for 4 October, 10.30 am.
Background: Former Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan International Bank OJSC Jahangir Hajiyev was arrested on 5 December 2015. He is charged under Articles 179.3.1 and 179.3.2 (misappropriation of a large amount of money by an organised group), 308.2 (abuse of official powers resulting in serious consequences), 309.2 (exceeding officials powers resulting in serious consequences), 313 (service forgery), and 228.1 and 228.4 (illegal acquisition, transfer, selling, storage, transportation or carrying of a weapon, its accessories, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code.
The defendants are accused of misappropriating 211 million AZN.
According to the indictment, defendant Azad Javadov is additionally charged under Article 228.4 (possession of cold weapon) of the Criminal Code due to possessing the dagger that was gifted to him.