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FORMER AZERBAIJANI MILITARY OFFICIAL ACCUSES DEFENSE MINISTRY OF CORRUPTION
TURAN
BAKU. August 6, 2012: Most of the funds allocated to the Defense
Ministry were embezzled by a group of senior military officials,
said Rashad Mamedov, former head of the Financial Department of the
Military Commissariat of Azerbaijan in an interview with the Washington
correspondent of Turan. He served in the Ministry of Defense for
17 years; during the last two years (2010-2011), he worked in the
Commissariat of the Republic.
According to Mamedov, corruption in the army began in 1998, and has
been increasing since then. Thefts are carried out in different ways:
over-expenditure, money for dead souls, etc.
"It is impossible not to notice these thefts, it is enough to compare
the staffing of military units and funds allocated by them," he said.
In 2008-2010 Rashad Mamedov controlled the financial affairs of the
Higher Military School named after Nakhchivanski.
"Suddenly" in 2010, he was appointed head of the pension group,
and later became the head of the finance department. "At first I was
surprised and was delighted, but after working for a while, I realized
that there was serious embezzlement and they want me to cover it up.
The embezzlement in 2010 is not the issue, the issue is the
embezzlement in previous years, approximately 500,000 - 600,000 manat,"
said Major Mamedov.
According to Mamedov, the Defense Ministry ignored his reports on
the theft of funds; moreover, it was made clear that if he did not
sit quietly, he would be punished.
"At some point I learned that some important documents were destroyed,
so I decided to retire from service on my own. Because it became
impossible, I decided to leave the country," said Mamedov.
He is currently wanted by the Military Prosecutor Office on charges
of desertion. Mamedov said that another common form of corruption
is bribery in the district military enlistment offices in order to
delay military service or release from the army for health reasons. In
addition, bribes are given to attain a post in a particular region,
away from the front line. Bribes are increasing, so the most
expensive to obtain is permission to serve in Lankaran-Astara, Guba
and Baku-Qusar zones. To serve in the Internal Troops or Border Guard
Service is not cheap, Mamedov said.
However, for children of senior officials, their problems are often
solved without bribes. "The children of many officials are formal.
They spend half the year at home, appearing in parts of only for a
few hours, if there is an inspection," said Mamedov. As for the fight
against corruption, such campaigns are short and are selective in
nature. Because of such inspections, the size of bribes increases,
said the major.
Rashad Mamedov said that another form of theft is the so-called
tenders for the purchase of food and other necessities for the army.
The winners of these tenders, as a rule, are firms and the companies
close to the leadership of the Defense Ministry. As a result, the food
and clothing of inferior quality appear in the army, which testifies
to the misuse of funds, said Major Mamedov.
Teymur Abdullayev, the deputy head of press service of Defense
Ministry of Azerbaijan, commented on Mamedov's statements, calling them
"baseless fabrications."
"A lawsuit has been filed against him on charges of desertion, and
it would be good to ask about him in the law enforcement agencies,"
said Abdullayev (Turan).
TURAN
BAKU. August 6, 2012: Most of the funds allocated to the Defense
Ministry were embezzled by a group of senior military officials,
said Rashad Mamedov, former head of the Financial Department of the
Military Commissariat of Azerbaijan in an interview with the Washington
correspondent of Turan. He served in the Ministry of Defense for
17 years; during the last two years (2010-2011), he worked in the
Commissariat of the Republic.
According to Mamedov, corruption in the army began in 1998, and has
been increasing since then. Thefts are carried out in different ways:
over-expenditure, money for dead souls, etc.
"It is impossible not to notice these thefts, it is enough to compare
the staffing of military units and funds allocated by them," he said.
In 2008-2010 Rashad Mamedov controlled the financial affairs of the
Higher Military School named after Nakhchivanski.
"Suddenly" in 2010, he was appointed head of the pension group,
and later became the head of the finance department. "At first I was
surprised and was delighted, but after working for a while, I realized
that there was serious embezzlement and they want me to cover it up.
The embezzlement in 2010 is not the issue, the issue is the
embezzlement in previous years, approximately 500,000 - 600,000 manat,"
said Major Mamedov.
According to Mamedov, the Defense Ministry ignored his reports on
the theft of funds; moreover, it was made clear that if he did not
sit quietly, he would be punished.
"At some point I learned that some important documents were destroyed,
so I decided to retire from service on my own. Because it became
impossible, I decided to leave the country," said Mamedov.
He is currently wanted by the Military Prosecutor Office on charges
of desertion. Mamedov said that another common form of corruption
is bribery in the district military enlistment offices in order to
delay military service or release from the army for health reasons. In
addition, bribes are given to attain a post in a particular region,
away from the front line. Bribes are increasing, so the most
expensive to obtain is permission to serve in Lankaran-Astara, Guba
and Baku-Qusar zones. To serve in the Internal Troops or Border Guard
Service is not cheap, Mamedov said.
However, for children of senior officials, their problems are often
solved without bribes. "The children of many officials are formal.
They spend half the year at home, appearing in parts of only for a
few hours, if there is an inspection," said Mamedov. As for the fight
against corruption, such campaigns are short and are selective in
nature. Because of such inspections, the size of bribes increases,
said the major.
Rashad Mamedov said that another form of theft is the so-called
tenders for the purchase of food and other necessities for the army.
The winners of these tenders, as a rule, are firms and the companies
close to the leadership of the Defense Ministry. As a result, the food
and clothing of inferior quality appear in the army, which testifies
to the misuse of funds, said Major Mamedov.
Teymur Abdullayev, the deputy head of press service of Defense
Ministry of Azerbaijan, commented on Mamedov's statements, calling them
"baseless fabrications."
"A lawsuit has been filed against him on charges of desertion, and
it would be good to ask about him in the law enforcement agencies,"
said Abdullayev (Turan).