ECHO # 2(494) Sat., January 4, 2003

1 million dollars

For such a sum, former Lieutenant Colonel of the MNB of Azerbaijan Ramin Nagiev tried to sell Boris Berezovsky information about the Baku and Moscow bombings.

Not long ago, as our newspaper already reported, the head of the Russian FSB, Nikolai Patrushev, announced that Azerbaijani General Rasulov had been expelled from Russia for five years, allegedly for collecting and transmitting secret information about the Russian armed forces. In Azerbaijan, the accusations of the head of the Russian special services were rejected, especially since the mentioned general still holds a high post in the country's Ministry of Defense. Nevertheless, the statement, regardless of whether it has any basis or not, indicates that Azerbaijan causes some wariness among the Russian special services. And not only among them.

Russian media follow events related to Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies and national security bodies. And often the name of a certain Lieutenant Colonel Ramin Nagiev - a former employee of the MNB of Azerbaijan - slips into publications. He often comments on events related to the Azerbaijani special services. Recently, the newspaper "Utro" published an interview with former "Novaya Gazeta" observer Oleg Sultanov, in which Ramin Nagiev appeared in a somewhat different role. His name is associated with the well-known Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Sultanov himself, judging by his story, was recruited by Berezovsky's people working under the cover of the "RusGlobus" internet portal. He was invited to France and offered to write a book about the Putin regime. The journalist claims that in addition to preparing the book, they also demanded information from him. In particular, Sultanov claims that a certain Limarev, a close associate of Berezovsky, demanded information from him in order to pass it on to the French special services. Sultanov also talks about Berezovsky's ties with the CIA through the Civil Liberties Foundation, headed by Alex Goldfarb. The journalist claims that the foundation is supported by the State Department, and projects are carried out through the CIA. Berezovsky is also one of the sponsors of this foundation. As for how the former Azerbaijani Chekist "showed up" in this dark story, judging by Sultanov's story, one of the parts of the book "Putin's Russia" was to be prepared by this very former investigator of the MNB of Azerbaijan. "This person is a special case," says Sultanov. "He investigated high-profile crimes on the territory of Azerbaijan. Nagiev has 180 terrorism cases sent to court to his credit. If he is to be believed, in 1999 he moved too deep into the investigation of one criminal case and, having become an enemy of his minister, fled to Russia. I met Nagiev when the situation with 'RusGlobus' was just developing. Nagiev himself reached out to me after reading publications on the Internet. He said that he also wanted to take part in 'this work'. At first, I didn't even understand what work. You know, any initiative raises suspicions. And then Nagiev told me that he had a 'bomb' about the bombings in Moscow. I advised him, as a law-abiding citizen, to contact the appropriate authorities. To this he replied that the material was intended for Mr. Berezovsky. I interviewed Nagiev and published it on the website. After that, BAB's team (Boris Abramovich Berezovsky - ed.) became interested in Nagiev, who was actively seeking a meeting with them. For his materials, he wanted a lot, even a very lot - a million dollars." True, Sultanov believes that the [information] offered by Ramin Nagiev...

Information on Terrorist Attacks

• The information is "pure bluff."
• Several years ago in Baku, the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan arrested several suspects in the organization of terrorist attacks, among whom were ethnic Russians.
• Sultanov is most likely talking about the investigation into the 1994 bombings at the "20 January" metro station—a terrorist attack organized by "Sadval" separatists in conjunction with Armenian special services.
• However, according to information obtained by "Ekho" from law enforcement sources, Nagiev did not take an active part in this investigation.

Nagiev's Allegations and Dismissal

• Nagiev sees the "hand of the FSB" in these explosions.
• The sensation lies in the fact that the former MNB investigator links the Baku explosions with the Moscow ones.
• Nagiev, according to Sultanov, went to Paris as a tourist and requested political asylum there, although he was a Russian citizen.
• His entire family is also abroad.
• Sources in the Azerbaijani national security agencies are not surprised by this turn of events, as even in Baku, Nagiev did not enjoy the trust of the leadership.
• The deterioration of relations was also facilitated by the fact that Nagiev was considered close to Deputy Minister Galib Khalygov, who, according to some reports, did not get along with Minister Namik Abbasov.
• Nagiev did not complete the most high-profile investigations assigned to him—the cases of the murders of Shamsi Rahimov and Afiyeddin Jalilov.
• According to some data, Nagiev allegedly had information that the 7th Directorate was conducting surveillance on Jalilov (which it had no legal right to do, since MM deputies cannot be the object of surveillance), and demanded surveillance protocols and explanations from the minister on this matter.
• Although, according to sources in the MNB, talk of surveillance on Jalilov was a fabrication by Nagiev.
• One way or another, 2 years ago the investigator was dismissed "for errors in work and actions unbecoming of his official position."
• This is how sources explain the attacks on the Minister of National Security organized by Nagiev on various internet portals—the "Virtual Monitor" of that same "RusGlobus," where the fates of Oleg Sultanov and Ramin Nagiev met.

Political Connections

• The political connections of Ramin Nagiev, who, by the way, speaks from the rabidly anti-Aliyev "Virtual Monitor," are also interesting.
• According to some reports, Ramin Nagiev, as well as the former prosecutor of Baku, Mamed Guliyev, were active in pro-Mutallibov activities in Moscow some time ago.
• According to sources, they maintained ties with Mahir Javadov, who, by the way, according to the results of the investigation (which Ramin Nagiev conducted very slowly), is the mastermind behind both political murders—Afiyeddin Jalilov and Shamsi Rahimov.
• As for the Baku explosions, during the investigation and trial, the organizer of the terrorist attack, Azer Aslanov, himself told the story of his recruitment by Armenian special services.
• Moreover, it was in Russia that the terrorist was arrested.
• Although, according to a source in the national security agencies of Azerbaijan, the reaction to the information about the arrest was surprisingly slow, and concrete measures were taken only after "orders from above."
• According to the source, perhaps the Azerbaijani special services had reasons to "wait for the denouement," and it is these motives that Ramin Nagiev operates with.

Media Reaction

• Oleg Sultanov's press conference and interview caused a scandal in Russia.
• The "Rusglobus" internet portal issued a rebuttal, and Ramin Nagiev and Evgeny Limarev promise to make an extensive statement from the pages of the same portal.
• Now the portal's management accuses Oleg Sultanov of collaborating with the FSB, promising to present documents confirming this, one of which is signed by the journalist himself.