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Azerbaijan declares 3 people on international wanted list over illegal gold exploration in occupied territories

4 November 2020 16:31 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijan declares 3 people on international wanted list over illegal gold exploration in occupied territories

By Ayya Lmahamad

The Prosecutor General’s Office declared three people on the international wanted list for plundering a gold mine in the Zangilan’s region Vejnali village.

A criminal case was launched in March 2018 by the Prosecutor General’s Office under Articles 192.2.3 (illegal entrepreneurship) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border) of the Criminal Code with regard to illegal entrepreneurial activity of foreign citizens of Armenian origin in the occupied Lachin and Kalbajar region territories of Azerbaijan, resulting in gross violation of ecology and subsoil use.

One of the cases was related to Zangilan’s region Vejnali village, which was occupied and recently liberated.

During the investigation, it was determined that “Base Metals” CJSC, a branch of the Vallex Group of companies officially registered in the Swiss Confederation, earning income from non-ferrous metal deposits during 2009-2017 in Vejnali village made illegal profits in total of AZN 301.9 million ($177.5M).

Thus, Vartan Sirmakes, a financial investor in the Vallex Group, a citizen of the Swiss Confederation, and its head Valeriy Mejlumyan, as well as Arthur Mkrtumyan, CEO of Base Metals CJSC, in connection with the above-mentioned criminal facts, were charged under the above indicated articles of the Criminal Code. In addition, by the relevant court decisions they were declared on the international wanted list.

It should be noted that in order to clarify the amount of damage caused and to determine other circumstances relevant to the investigation, investigative actions and an on-site inspection are carried out by the prosecution authorities at the area where the gold deposits in Vejnali village have been exploited for many years.

Likewise, the Prosecutor General’s Office addressed the relevant authorities of the Swiss Confederation to provide international legal assistance in order to carry out the necessary investigative actions in the criminal case.

Additionally, The Prosecutor General's Office states that within the framework of international law and based on national and international law all possible measures will be taken to impose sanctions on individuals and legal entities engaged in illegal economic and other activities in the occupied and already liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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