Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr E. Javadova / The trial of the former Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister, Farhad Aliyev, his brother Rafig Aliyev, the former President of the Azpetrol group of companies, and seventeen other defendants was continued with attorneys' speeches on 21 September at the Court on Serious Crimes presided over by Judge Tofik Pashayev.
Yunis Valiyev, the attorney for Gadir Huseynov, the former Executive Director of the National Fund for Support of Entrepreneurship at the Economic Development Ministry, and Eldaniz Mammadov, the attorney of Alikhan Pashayev, former head of the 'Liman' customs post of the Energy and Customs Department of Azerbaijan State Customs Service, spoke in the first half of the day. The attorneys said that the court investigation had not proved the guilt of the defendants and therefore required a 'non-guilty' verdict for them.
The defendants are accused of abuse of power and bribery.