Azerbaijan launches criminal case against officials illegally restricting irrigation water to land users

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General’s Office has launched a criminal case against officials, who illegally restricted the provision of irrigation water to land users, Azernews, reports, citing the office.

According to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, it was established that the representative of the Shamkir district executive authorities for Chinarli village, Aci Arx Water Users Union chairman Elchin Abbasov accepted various amounts of money as a bribe, (including 500 manats per hectare of land) from residents in order to arrange irrigation for their agricultural lands in 2021-2022.

Furthermore, there are credible suspicions that the farms suffered considerable damage as a result of the limited supply of irrigation water.

Elchin Abbasov was charged with articles 308.2 (abuse of official authority causing serious consequences) and 311.3.2 (repeated bribery) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code based on preliminary evidence, and the court adopted a pretrial detention measure for him.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed against the officials of Neftchala District Barakat, Garavalli and other water user associations, as well as the Neftchala Irrigation Systems Department, for accepting bribes from land users and inflicting damage on farms.

At the moment, the investigation is underway to determine the exact circle of the accused persons, other persons with whom they conspired, and the victims, as well as the amount of damage caused to farms, the statement reads.

The Prosecutor-General's Office is asking citizens, who have faced such illegal situations to inform the 961 call center or the 161 Hotline contact center of the Main Anti-Corruption Department under the Prosecutor-General's Office.