Aze.US
The discovery of 17 million manats (about $10 million) at the residence of former head of Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev has triggered broad public discussion extending beyond the legal investigation to social and economic implications.
Analysts say funds of that scale could have supported agricultural development, scientific research, education, infrastructure projects, or the construction and renovation of schools and other public facilities.
Former Finance Minister Fikret Yusifov said the amount found represents only a small fraction of what he believes may have been accumulated over years in power.
He suggested the cash may have been deliberately kept at the residence to shape perceptions during a potential search, while larger assets could be registered under relatives or associates. He added that investigators are likely working to identify the full network and recover any misappropriated funds for the state.
Yusifov also argued that accountability, if confirmed by investigators, should not be limited to a single official. According to him, multiple figures who rose to senior positions during the same period may have accumulated substantial wealth, forming what he described as a systemic corruption structure. Establishing responsibility across that network would be essential for restoring public confidence in state institutions, he said.
He added that any recovered funds should be transferred to the state budget and directed toward public needs, including defense, child benefits, support for veterans and families of fallen soldiers, and broader social welfare programs.