The Main Department for Combating Corruption under the Prosecutor General has concluded the preliminary investigation into a criminal case initiated based on information received from the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan.
This was reported to the Operative Information Center-OMM by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.
The investigation focused on the illegal seizure and sale of state-owned agricultural land located in the Ramana settlement of Baku, which was under the management of the "Azeragrar State Production and Processing Union" LLC, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Preliminary investigations have established reasonable grounds to suspect 11 individuals—Galib Aliyev, Anar Huseynov, Jeyhun Ashrafov, Araz Ismayilov, Amin Guliyev, Arif Mammadov, Vidadi Rasulov, Ilgar Gahramanov, Orkhan Vahidov, Jeyhun Damirov, and Safa Novruzov—of committing fraud and violating property, usage, and lease rights regarding land.
According to the investigation, Galib Aliyev, Anar Huseynov, and Jeyhun Ashrafov, acting as a group, seized over 25 hectares of state-owned agricultural land without legal authorization. Subsequently, in collusion with Araz Ismayilov, Amin Guliyev, Arif Mammadov, and Vidadi Rasulov, they falsely claimed ownership of the land, sold it in parcels to various individuals, and fraudulently obtained significant sums of money.
Furthermore, Ilgar Gahramanov, Orkhan Vahidov, and Jeyhun Damirov, acting as a separate group, illegally seized over 4 hectares of state-owned agricultural land. Together with Safa Novruzov, Amin Guliyev, and Vidadi Rasulov, they also falsely claimed ownership, sold the land to unsuspecting buyers, and committed fraud.
Based on the gathered evidence, the accused have been charged under Articles 178.4 (fraud causing significant damage) and 188.3 (violation of land ownership, usage, or lease rights regarding agricultural land) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, among other charges.
The indictment has been approved by the prosecutor overseeing the preliminary investigation and has been forwarded to the Baku Court of Grave Crimes for adjudication.
As a result of measures taken during the preliminary investigation, over 20 hectares of state-owned land have been returned to the use of the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, efforts have been made to ensure partial restitution for the financial damages suffered by the victims of the fraud.
Context: The illegal seizure and sale of state lands remain a significant focus for law enforcement agencies in Azerbaijan, as the government continues to prioritize the protection of state property and the regulation of agricultural land use to ensure national food security and orderly urban development.
