Ziya Mammadov

Ziya Mammadov Arzuman oglu is an Azerbaijani politician and billionaire Mammadov has been implicated in a number of corruption scandals and exposes,

Early life Mammadov was born in 1952 in Azerbaijan. He graduated from Rostov State Transport University. He was an assistant railway operator in Bilacari depot of the Azerbaijan State Railway in 1971. In 1972–1974, he served in the Soviet Army. Upon his return from military service, he worked for the railway until 1980. In 1980–1983, he was chairman of the Communist Party chapter in the Exploitation Department and then the chairman of the Committee of Colleagues of Bilacari Locomotive Depot.

From 1983 to 1984, Mammadov worked as a dispatcher in Azerbaijan Railway Service; from 1984 to 1987 as the Assistant Director of Human Resources of Bilacari Locomotive Depot; from 1987 to 1989 as the substitute director at Davachi depot; and from 1989 to 1991 as the Ganja Locomotive Depot Director. From 1991 to 1993, he was the Director of Locomotive Supplies Service at Azerbaijan Railway Service, and from 1993 to 1996, he was the Assistant Director for Locomotive Supplies Service at Azerbaijan State Railway Administration.

Political career On July 31, 1996, he was appointed the chairman of the Azerbaijan State Railway Administration by order No. 379 of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. He served in the position until August 2002.

On August 8, 2002, Mammadov was appointed the Minister of Transportation of the Azerbaijan Republic by Presidential Decree No. 750. On February 13, 2017 Ministry of Transportation of the Azerbaijan Republic was reformed into the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and High Technologies, and Ziya Mammadov left his position.

Corruption In leaked diplomatic cables, Mammadov was described as "notoriously corrupt even for Azerbaijan". According to the New Yorker, in 2014, "Mammadov, a career government official, had a salary of about twelve thousand dollars, but he was a billionaire." His son, Anar, is involved in business dealings, such as the unfinished Trump Hotel in Baku. His brother, Elton, is a member of the Parliament.