Gular AhmadovaAn Azerbaijani politician expelled from the ruling party after being implicated in a corruption scandal has been arrested.
The Sabail District Court in Baku ordered Gular Ahmadova to be held in pretrial detention for up to two months.
The Prosecutor-General’s Office announced late on February 13 that Ahmadova will be charged with abuse of public office in order to commit embezzlement.
In September, a video appeared online showing Ahmadova, a parliamentary deputy with the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, discussing the size of a bribe required to secure a seat in parliament.
The incident allegedly took place in 2005.
Although corruption is said to be rampant in Azerbaijan, the high-profile exposure of public figures is rare.
Ahmadova faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.
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Courtesy of RFE/RL. Original article appeared here.
Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
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