Lankaran: The preliminary investigation into the criminal case initiated at the Main Anti-Corruption Directorate under the Prosecutor General regarding the illegal actions of officials of the Lankaran Regional Scientific Center of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences has been concluded, APA reports, citing the Press Service of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the preliminary investigation revealed reasonable suspicions that the director of the Center, Mehman Aliyev, entered into a criminal relationship with the chief accountant Hasil Askerov and the deputy director for general affairs, Namik Gasimov. They allegedly abused their official authority by knowingly entering false information into official documents with the assistance of citizen Mehman Garibov. From November 2023 to June 2025, they are accused of cashing out state budget funds under the guise of paying wages to non-working individuals, renting non-residential premises, performing work, and providing services, thereby embezzling and wasting a large amount of money entrusted to them.
Based on the evidence collected, Mehman Aliyev and Hasil Askerov were charged, respectively, under Articles 179.3.2 (embezzlement or squandering on a large scale) and 308.1 (abuse of official powers) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Namik Gasimov was charged under Articles 179.2.1, 179.2.3, and 179.2.4 of the same Code, while Mehman Garibov was charged under Articles 32.5, 179.2.1, 32.5, 179.2.3, 32.5, 179.2.4, and other articles of the same Code. As a preventive measure, they were placed under police supervision. Additionally, upon the investigator’s motion and the submission of the prosecutor exercising procedural supervision over the preliminary investigation, the court imposed a preventive measure in the form of suspension from office on Mehman Aliyev and Namik Gasimov.
The criminal case has now been sent to the Lankaran Court on Grave Crimes for consideration on the merits.