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The fallout from the dismissal of Sumgayit’s former chief architect has taken a sharper turn after new allegations emerged about the scale of assets reportedly tied to him and his family.
The official at the center of the controversy is Rashad Ahmadaliyev, the former head of Sumgayit’s Architecture and Urban Planning Department. According to claims cited in local media, Ahmadaliyev and his close relatives are allegedly connected to a collection of expensive vehicles and a broad portfolio of real estate that has triggered fresh public debate in the city.
The allegations come on top of an earlier scandal that had already pushed his name into the spotlight. Last year, Ahmadaliyev drew public anger after leading a raid in Nizami Square in central Sumgayit, where goods were confiscated from several shops. The episode provoked a backlash from residents and business owners and eventually ended with his removal from office.
But his dismissal did not end the questions. It appears to have intensified them.
Claims circulating in Sumgayit suggest that Ahmadaliyev accumulated substantial wealth over the past three years while serving in a position that gave him influence over construction approvals, urban planning decisions and access to commercially valuable permits.
Among the most serious allegations are claims of an informal payment system tied to permits and construction activity. According to those claims, permission to open a commercial entrance on the ground floor of older residential buildings allegedly cost 50,000 manats. More than 100 such facilities are said to have opened over the past three years. Separate claims also allege that individual home construction required a payment of 5,000 manats, while homes built on undocumented land were subject to demands of 10,000 manats. It is further alleged that relatives, friends and favored associates received special treatment.
Attention has also focused on the list of vehicles allegedly linked to the former official or his family members. The claims mention a Hyundai Santa Fe, a new-model Lexus, two different new-model Range Rovers, a Toyota Camry and a Chevrolet Suburban. All of them, according to the allegations, are black.
One of the more striking claims concerns a license plate issue. According to the information being circulated, the plate number 50 AA-007, allegedly assigned to an official Volkswagen Passat, was unlawfully transferred for use on a privately owned Toyota Camry purchased in 2024. If proven, that would deepen the scandal beyond questions of wealth and into possible abuse of official privilege.
The property allegations are even more politically sensitive. Reports claim that numerous kiosks, small commercial outlets and apartments across Sumgayit were registered not directly in Ahmadaliyev’s own name, but in the names of close relatives. Some of those properties are allegedly rented out, while others are reportedly used for commercial purposes.
That detail has drawn particular attention because it resembles a familiar concealment pattern: assets allegedly placed under relatives’ names rather than held directly by the official himself. In environments where public office can create opportunities for illicit enrichment, that kind of arrangement is often seen as a way to mask ownership while preserving control.
The former chief architect’s position was not a minor administrative post. It carried direct influence over urban development plans, construction permits, land use and commercial alterations in the city. In sectors where regulatory power and private financial interests intersect so closely, allegations of corruption tend to carry added weight.
So far, no formal response has been issued by the relevant state authorities regarding the latest claims. No public explanation has been offered on the origin of the alleged assets, and no official findings have yet been announced.
Still, the scale of the allegations has made the issue difficult to ignore. The case is no longer just about one dismissed official. It has become a broader test of whether questions about wealth, influence and accountability in local government will be examined seriously or allowed to fade into the background once again./Musavat.com
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