Afət Ziyadqızı
A journalist accused of fraud has been arrested in Baku.
“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports, citing oxu.az, that numerous complaints were filed with the Nizami District Police Department alleging that Vekilin Sesi newspaper editor-in-chief Jamal Bagirzade posed as a lawyer and took money from citizens. Police detained Bagirzade in an operation.
A criminal case has been opened and charges have been brought against him under Article 178 (fraud) of the Criminal Code. A hearing was held at the Nizami District Court following a motion by the investigative body. The court granted the motion and ordered Bagirzade held in pretrial detention for two months.
In 2023, reports emerged that Jamal Bagirzade had taken money from citizen Parvana Babayeva after introducing himself as a member of the Bar Association. Babayeva filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office. The office’s Department for Proceedings Outside Criminal Prosecution opened administrative proceedings against Bagirzade under Articles 227 (petty theft) and 399 (unlawful use of the title of lawyer) of the Code of Administrative Offenses and referred the case to the Nizami District Court.
The court fined him 350 manats.
