Ex-Finance Minister sentenced to 18 months in jail

Judge Aladdin Jafarov sentenced the ex-Minister to 18months in prison, APA reports.

Journalists were not allowed to attend the trial. The judge told journalists the court procedures were not closed, and court inspectors did not let journalists due to some misunderstanding. He said the ex-Minister faced charges under article 228.1 (illegal carrying of gun) of Criminal Code.

The former Minister said in his testimony that "Makarov" pistol was found under his car on October 16 last year.

He put the pistol under the seat in the car in order to hand over to the police. Then he met with several persons and went to a restaurant with his family. At that time, his car was surveyed, and the pistol was confiscated. The ex-Minister says the pistol did not belong to him. The judge noted that the owner of the pistol has not been found as it was not registered by the Interior Ministry. As a result, the court sentenced him to one year and six months in prison accusing of carrying illegal gun.

"Fikret Yusifov received his punishment for 10 months. The verdict will be valid within 20 days if no appeal is filed against, and he will be transferred to a common detention place. I do not rule out he might not receive full punishment. It depends on his behavior in the prison," the judge said.

He also said this article envisages three years in jail, "Fikret Yusifov's good characteristics like a professor, this being his first sentence and having four children were taken into account while sentencing him."