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INFORMATION ON THE OWNERSHIP OF PRIVATE COMPANIES IN AZERBAIJAN CLASSIFIED!
Azerireport
President Ilham Aliyev's daughters Arzu and Leyla Aliyeva
BAKU. June 12, 2012: Today's session of Milli Mejlis (Parliament of
Azerbaijan) adopted the amendments to the laws "On commercial secret"
and "On State Registration of Legal Persons and State Registry" with 97
votes for, 4 against, and two abstentions. The new amendments prohibit
the disclosure the ownership of legal persons. The initiative to adopt
these new amendments followed the sensational journalist investigations
of Khadija Ismayilova which brought the corruption of the Azerbaijani
government to public attention. The journalist investigations showed
that that the daughters of the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev
had control over the ownership of a number of offshore companies
engaged in broad range of activities, including the telecommunications
business, gold mining, construction business which received significant
business from the orders of the Azerbaijani government. Apparently,
the government's response to those investigations was to classify
the information who owns which corporation.
According to the new amendments to the Azerbaijani laws, from now on
the information on the ownership of legal persons can be disclosed
only upon the court order to that effect or the order of the law
enforcement agencies.
The executive secretary of the ruling party YAP and the member of the
Azerbaijani parliament Mubariz Gurbanli responded to the criticisms
that this law was unprecedented in Europe saying the following:
"We don't receive our orders from Europe. The country should take
into account its own national interests."
Of course, the YAP official did not provide an explanation as to why
the private shares in the charter capital of a business enterprise
is an issue of national interest. "In the Canadian parliament, the
speaker refused to publish the price of fighters bought in a western
country," said Mubariz Gurbanli.
Turan News Agency reports that Igbal Aghazade, member of the
Azerbaijani parliament said the following about the new amendments:
"The amendments are aimed at taking the information on the stolen
public funds out of the control of the public eye. If the employer
pays the taxes, why would he hide information about himself?" he said.
"It is illegal discussion, and I invite the interested committees to
abandon short-sighted initiative," he said.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy Ziyad
Samadzade referred to the legislation of Kazakhstan, where the
information regarding the ownership of private companies also
classified. He further said that Europe and America have been existing
for hundreds of years, but they live in an open society only since
the 1950s. According to him, Azerbaijan will once come to openness.
After a brief debate, the parliamentarians adopted the proposed
amendments by 97 votes "for", four "against", and two abstentions
(Azerireport).
Azerireport
President Ilham Aliyev's daughters Arzu and Leyla Aliyeva
BAKU. June 12, 2012: Today's session of Milli Mejlis (Parliament of
Azerbaijan) adopted the amendments to the laws "On commercial secret"
and "On State Registration of Legal Persons and State Registry" with 97
votes for, 4 against, and two abstentions. The new amendments prohibit
the disclosure the ownership of legal persons. The initiative to adopt
these new amendments followed the sensational journalist investigations
of Khadija Ismayilova which brought the corruption of the Azerbaijani
government to public attention. The journalist investigations showed
that that the daughters of the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev
had control over the ownership of a number of offshore companies
engaged in broad range of activities, including the telecommunications
business, gold mining, construction business which received significant
business from the orders of the Azerbaijani government. Apparently,
the government's response to those investigations was to classify
the information who owns which corporation.
According to the new amendments to the Azerbaijani laws, from now on
the information on the ownership of legal persons can be disclosed
only upon the court order to that effect or the order of the law
enforcement agencies.
The executive secretary of the ruling party YAP and the member of the
Azerbaijani parliament Mubariz Gurbanli responded to the criticisms
that this law was unprecedented in Europe saying the following:
"We don't receive our orders from Europe. The country should take
into account its own national interests."
Of course, the YAP official did not provide an explanation as to why
the private shares in the charter capital of a business enterprise
is an issue of national interest. "In the Canadian parliament, the
speaker refused to publish the price of fighters bought in a western
country," said Mubariz Gurbanli.
Turan News Agency reports that Igbal Aghazade, member of the
Azerbaijani parliament said the following about the new amendments:
"The amendments are aimed at taking the information on the stolen
public funds out of the control of the public eye. If the employer
pays the taxes, why would he hide information about himself?" he said.
"It is illegal discussion, and I invite the interested committees to
abandon short-sighted initiative," he said.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy Ziyad
Samadzade referred to the legislation of Kazakhstan, where the
information regarding the ownership of private companies also
classified. He further said that Europe and America have been existing
for hundreds of years, but they live in an open society only since
the 1950s. According to him, Azerbaijan will once come to openness.
After a brief debate, the parliamentarians adopted the proposed
amendments by 97 votes "for", four "against", and two abstentions
(Azerireport).