Azerbaijani authorities have arrested two senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture on bribery charges after an investigation revealed they accepted payments in exchange for expediting vehicle registrations and technical certifications.
The officials, Rashad Yolchiyev, deputy head of the State Technical Supervision Department, and Arif Hasanov, head of the Technical Supervision Organization Sector, allegedly ran the bribery scheme between 2022 and 2025, according to the Azerbaijani Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigators uncovered financial records and documents linking the suspects to illegal payments during searches of their offices. Authorities claim the scheme involved multiple sources paying bribes for services such as registering agricultural and other vehicles, issuing state registration numbers, passing technical inspections, and providing certification.
The Binagadi District Court placed both officials under house arrest and removed them from their positions at the request of prosecutors leading the preliminary investigation. Officials say the probe remains ongoing, with further evidence collection and witness questioning underway. It is unclear if additional individuals will face charges.
Azerbaijan faces significant corruption challenges, as evidenced by its low score of 23 out of 100 on Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), placing it 154th out of 180 countries.
This score reflects deep-rooted issues within the country's public institutions, including law enforcement and the judiciary, which are plagued by weak rule of law and rising authoritarianism, according to TI.
According to the watchdog, despite government pledges to combat corruption, there has been little to no improvement in recent years, highlighting systemic problems that hinder transparency and accountability.
