By AZE.US
Azerbaijani fashion designer Leyla Ahmadova has denied reports that she was arrested on a large-scale fraud charge, claiming the allegations were spread by her enemies.
Local media initially reported that Ahmadova had been charged under Article 178.3.2 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, which covers large-scale fraud, and ordered held in custody for three months by Baku’s Khatai District Court.
The outlet later revised its report, saying the court had instead placed Ahmadova under house arrest.
Ahmadova, however, rejected both claims in comments to Oxu.az. She said she was at her fashion house and offered to speak with journalists by video call as proof that she was not in detention.
“The information being circulated has no basis. This is the work of my enemy – an enemy of my father who is jealous of my success,” Ahmadova said.
She claimed her opponents were attempting to damage her reputation following her professional achievements, including what she described as receiving a UNESCO gold medal and a visit by the organization’s representatives to her museum.
Asked whether a criminal case had been opened against her, Ahmadova said no such proceedings existed.
“If that were true, the Prosecutor General’s Office would have issued an official statement,” she said.
The conflicting accounts have not yet been clarified by a publicly cited statement from Azerbaijan’s law enforcement or judicial authorities.
AZE.US