Our roof is Interior Minister and head of Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan
A new scandalous video material has been spread in Azerbaijan published by Elshad Abdullayev, the former rector of the International University of Azerbaijan. As the Azerbaijani “Turan” news agency reported, on the video with duration of half and an hour, taken by a candid camera, the discussion of Elshad Abdullaev with Rasim Ildrimzade, the Deputy Police Chief of Baku Airport is recorded. Rasim Ildrimzade is the close relative of the Interior Minister Ramil Usubov and Prosecutor of Khatai district of Baku Yousif Ildrimzade.
Elshad Abdullayev discusses with this police colonel the redemption terms of the rector’s brother Mahir Abdullayev, who was kidnapped on 13 October 2003 by a group of people. Ildrimzade promises to Elshad Abdullayev to return his brother for $ 1 million. In the same time, he says that Mahir is kept outside of Azerbaijan, but close to the border. Besides that Rasim Ildrimzade assures Elshad Abdullayev that Mahir is kept in good conditions. During the conversation he denies that the rector’s brother has been kidnapped by criminal groupings.
Rasim Ildrimzade assures that Mahir has been kidnapped not by ordinary criminals but by bandits “within the government.” However, he does not speak about the motives of the kidnappers, and declares that “Mahir will tell everything.”
Rasim Ildrimzade categorically warns Elshad Abdullayev for the latter not to hold talks with anyone else for releasing his brother and advised him to "sent" to hell all those who come to him with such proposals. Rasim Ildrimzade confidently guarantees Mahir Abdullayev’s release mentioning about his influential ties. “Our roof is the Interior Minister and head of the presidential administration," he said.
Referring to the latest video, which was spread by Elshad Abdullayev, Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo writes, that compared with other video recordings the intellectual level of this conversation is much higher than the one with clarification of relations between Elshad Abdullayev and Gular Ahmedova. During this conversation, they hardly use slang expressions that are inherent for criminal-underworld. “We are pleased with the fact that our senior officers have seen even Ishtoyan.” For jingoists: I do not advertise any Armenian thing. This is an episode from the famous movie “Mimino”. Shortly, unlike Gular Ahmedova, Rasim Ildrimzade is apparently not a “lord of the underworld”. But let’s put a dot on this positive thought,” writes the author.
The article also says that Ildrimzade is not entirely contiguous in conversation with Abdullayev. On the one hand, he says that M. Abdullayev alive is alive, and is free to move from place to place, and it seems even that he is in recluse by his own will as he has to be far from the public eye. But on the other hand, answering the questions of Elshad Abdullayev he confesses that the kidnappers do not allow M. Abdullayev to get in touch with his relatives.
Ildrymzade commented on this video, after its publication, and stated that that Elshad Abdullayev blackmails him by spreading the records, as the former rector is a criminal himself who has illegally appropriated funds of many people and many are left without a diploma, the author writes, “I am more than confident that Elshad Abdullayev led his business by not entirely legal means. It is hardly possible to act in another way in Azerbaijan.”
Late in September 2011 a video was spread in the Internet where the former rector of International University of Azerbaijan Elshad Abdullayev was bargaining with Azerbaijani MP Gular Ahmedova about the amount of the bribe which the rector was to pay to be “elected” as MP. After the video was covered in the Internet a criminal case on “fraud” was opened. Guler Ahmadova appealed to Parliament to rescind her mandate, and on October 3, CEC recognized her mandate invalid.
Abdullayev said that he applied to various state bodies of Azerbaijan in connection with the abduction of his brother. He also noted that he had met with the head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev and had discussed with him a number of questions. Mehdiyev declared Abdullayev’s all statements “libel”, but he did not deny the fact that the meeting had taken place.