The Turkish daily newspaper “Aksam” has reported that a high profile hearing related to two well known Kadyrovites arrested and released in Turkey in October 2012 as alleged gold smugglers has begun.

According to the information, on October 18, 2012, a close relative of Ramzan Kadyrov, Amruddin Edelgeriyev and his friend Khasan Khakimov were arrested in the airport at Antalya, Turkey while they were leaving for Russia, because 12kg and 376gram gold bars stamped with Russia’s tag from 2008 were found in the luggage of Edelgeriyev. Turkish officers from the Antalya Airport Customs Department and Anti-Smuggling Customs Enforcement Intelligence Directorate arrested two Kadyrovites because they could not produce any legal documents on the gold bar. After the interrogation, Amruddin Edelgeriyev was released due to his Russian diplomatic passport, and the following day Khasan Khakimov was released. In the mean time, the Turkish Republican Prosecutor Ali Cam mentioned in his indictment that the gold bar was smuggled into Turkey illegally and its value is about 1.2 million Turkish Liras (520,000 Euros). He accused Emruddin Edelgiriyev of being the number one suspect and Khasan Khakimov of being his aide. He demanded that both defendants serve prison terms of 1 to 5 years and pay a judicial fine.

The first hearing was conducted on August 7 in the Antalya Lower Criminal Court Number 1. Both defendants were ready in the court.

Amruddin Edelgeriyev introduced himself by saying that he has 8 children, works as the head advisor and deputy of the head of the pro-Moscow regime in Russian occupied Chechen lands, Ramzan Kadyrov, and earns 2,000 American dollars per month.

“The gold bar belongs to my friend Khasan Khakimov. He asked for my help, thus I put it into my luggage. He brought it to Turkey for processing but he found labor costs to be very expensive and decided to take it back to our country. This is all of my knowledge on the issue. I am not guilty and I am asking for an acquittal” said Edelgeriyev.

Khasan Khamikov claimed that he did not know that bringing or taking away a gold bar was a crime in Turkey, and if he knew, he wouldn’t have done it.

On the other hand, an expert rapport was presented to the court. It was said that gold trafficking without permission or without declaration is a crime.

The trial will continue, the hearing is postponed to October 4 to complete some legal documents.

As a note, we must remind you that both Kadyrovites studied in Turkey with the help of Muslim charity organizations. During this term, they were talking about the holy struggle against Russia, but when they finished their education, they returned to the Russian occupied Chechnya and started to work for the pro-Moscow regime. After the latest incident, Amruddin Edelgeriyev was appointed to head the State Committee for Tourism, and Khasan Khakimov was promoted to deputy prime minister responsible for attracting investment. However, Amruddin Edelgiriyev is in charge of Turkish operations for the pro-Russian regime and he often travels to Turkey.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco