Over half a million dollars illegally transferred to Azerbaijan via Toplum TV West-sponsored network exposed

The office of Toplum TV has been searched, several people have been detained and investigative measures into the case are currently underway.

Preliminary results obtained give grounds to say that more than half a million dollars were transferred to Azerbaijan via Toplum TV, through which illegal financing of various projects, events and activities was carried out, APA reports.

While investigating materials it was established that the strategic course of Toplum TV, as a center, which is a relatively new project in comparison with other projects implemented by the West in Azerbaijan, is to ensure the activity of a wide network in Azerbaijan, through its strengthening of discontent in society in social, public and political directions, formation of an environment of insubordination, creation and development of tension.

Direct control over the process was exercised by certain US structures and institutions.

There are many facts about the organization and management of such activities in Azerbaijan by the US and earlier, starting from the late 1990s, and the process is developing in an ascending manner.

The activities of the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID and other organizations in Azerbaijan, the expenditures of $2 million in 2011-2012 for these purposes under the organisation of the former head of the NED office in Azerbaijan Alex Grigorievs, the holding of acts of insubordination by young people in Fountain Square in Baku and even planning the use of "Molotov cocktails" are established facts.

In essence, the active participation in this process of the persons leading on the ground the network created by the West in Azerbaijan and the involvement in anti-state activities of young people, who had no idea of the essence of the issue, is confirmed. Therefore, the persons involved in this process fraudulently are released. But they should understand the essence of the activity they were involved in and refrain from such anti-national activities in the future.

Chairman of Institute for Democratic Initiatives Akif Gurbanov, head of Toplum TV Khadija Ismail, those heading the network in the areas, and others received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Western funds to organise these activities, while very little money was allocated to youth representatives who were not aware of the issue.

It also became known that illegal financial transactions were conducted through Georgia.