Two MENA officials arrested for corruption

It was reported that as a result of urgent operative-search measures carried out on the basis of information received about illegal actions of the head of the department of forest fund use of the Forestry Development Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Sadik Salmanov, and Rashad Mahmudov, director of the Zagatala Regional Forestry Centre of the Forestry Development Service of this institution, the Prosecutor General, in addition, in the Main Department for Combating Corruption opened a criminal case.

In the course of operative-search measures reasonable suspicion was established that Sadik Salmanov received as a bribe 3 thousand manats from the amount of money he demanded in his office premises promising to organise allocation of valuable forest material to citizens through illegal auction.

In addition, reasonable suspicion has been established that Sadik Salmanov, in collusion with Rashad Mahmudov, repeatedly received a bribe totalling AZN 3,000 in exchange for providing valuable wood material outside official procedures to a citizen who approached him repeatedly for the same purpose.

Both officials were detained while receiving the money demanded from the citizen, their offices and cars were searched, and evidence important for the case was found and seized.

On the basis of the preliminary evidence collected, Sadik Salmanova was charged under Articles 311.3.1 (bribery by a group of conspiring individuals) and 311.3.2 (repeated bribery) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and Rashad Makhmudova was charged under Article 311.3.1 of the same Code. By court decision, they were both suspended from their posts and placed in custody.

At the moment, the criminal case is still under investigation and operational activities.