Court rules to release Barmek boss
An appeals court in the Azerbaijani town of Ganja
ruled on Friday to release a Turkish businessman who was previously
handed down a jail term on charges of bribery and an attempt to
illegally cross the border.
Huseyn Arabul, the former president of Turkish electricity supplier Barmek, which halted operation in Azerbaijan in 2006, received a five-year suspended sentence in September 2007 after being accused of embezzling state property. This past September, he was additionally sentenced to two years in prison by the Grave Crimes Court for trying to illegally leave the country. However, the Ganja court reviewing an appeal invalidated the two-year jail sentence, Abbas Atakishi, Arabul`s lawyer, told Radio Liberty. Also, the verdict added six months to the ongoing suspended sentence, bringing it to three and a half years.
Arabul did not attend the trial due to his health. According to the defense lawyer, he was released from a Baku detention facility after the ruling was issued.
Atakishi said that, though the jail term was replaced with a suspended sentence, the former Barmek chief is unhappy with the ruling and will file a plea to the Supreme Court to annul the lower court ruling.
According to investigators, Arabul tried to illegally cross the border into Georgia several months ago, in violation of his suspended sentence.
Five others were also charged and convicted over aiding the Barmek president. Arabul denied the charges during the trial.
Barmek operated the electricity networks of Baku and the country`s third largest city, Sumgayit, from 2001-2006.
Huseyn Arabul, the former president of Turkish electricity supplier Barmek, which halted operation in Azerbaijan in 2006, received a five-year suspended sentence in September 2007 after being accused of embezzling state property. This past September, he was additionally sentenced to two years in prison by the Grave Crimes Court for trying to illegally leave the country. However, the Ganja court reviewing an appeal invalidated the two-year jail sentence, Abbas Atakishi, Arabul`s lawyer, told Radio Liberty. Also, the verdict added six months to the ongoing suspended sentence, bringing it to three and a half years.
Arabul did not attend the trial due to his health. According to the defense lawyer, he was released from a Baku detention facility after the ruling was issued.
Atakishi said that, though the jail term was replaced with a suspended sentence, the former Barmek chief is unhappy with the ruling and will file a plea to the Supreme Court to annul the lower court ruling.
According to investigators, Arabul tried to illegally cross the border into Georgia several months ago, in violation of his suspended sentence.
Five others were also charged and convicted over aiding the Barmek president. Arabul denied the charges during the trial.
Barmek operated the electricity networks of Baku and the country`s third largest city, Sumgayit, from 2001-2006.
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