$6M bribe demand exposed in Farhad Ahmadov yacht case — court

A court hearing was held in Baku regarding the criminal case launched by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (SSS) against Anass Derraz, Vice President of the French multibillion-dollar company SAUR.

According to Report, the session at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, chaired by Judge Farid Namazov, was conducted in full compliance with procedural norms — the defendant was provided with simultaneous translation in both English and French to ensure the full understanding of the trial proceedings.

After confirming the defendant's personal details once more, the court announced the start of the judicial investigation. The prosecutor then presented the final section of the indictment.

Details of the corruption scheme

According to case materials, at the center of the scandal are Alexandre Benalla, the former head of the French presidential security service, and Anass Derraz, Vice President of SAUR. They are accused of accepting a large bribe and engaging in other criminal activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions on the assets of Azerbaijani billionaire and Russian citizen Farhad Ahmadov.

The investigation revealed that the defendants demanded a bribe from Ahmadov, promising to secure the release of his yacht “Luna” from arrest and ensure its free navigation in international waters. Additionally, Benalla and Derraz allegedly promised to shield Ahmadov from personal sanctions by leveraging their connections within French government circles.

As a result of negotiations, an agreement was reached on a bribe totaling $6,140,000. To give these payments a legal appearance, a fictitious consultancy agreement was signed between the parties.

According to the case files, on November 15, 2018, the parties agreed to an initial payment of $600,000, with the remaining $5,540,000 to be paid within 15 days after the yacht’s release.

Investigators confirmed that Ahmadov transferred $200,000 to Anass Derraz’s account at AL HILAL BANK and $400,000 to Alexandre Benalla’s account at BANK OF AFRICA UNITED KINGDOM PLC SC PAR.

Charges and possible punishment

The judge noted that the SSS charged Anass Derraz under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan:

193-1.3.2 – Legalization of assets acquired through criminal means in significant amounts

32.5, 311.3.3 – Accepting a large bribe

If found guilty on all charges, the French executive faces 8 to 12 years in prison. The defendant stated his intention to testify at the next hearing to present his defense. The court granted the request and scheduled the next session for July 31 at 09:30.

Benalla placed on Interpol's international wanted list

The case gains additional significance from the fact that the second figure involved, Alexandre Benalla — former head of security for French President Emmanuel Macron — has been placed on Interpol’s international wanted list.

After a thorough review, Interpol’s General Secretariat deemed the search for Benalla justified and, in April 2025, issued a Red Notice, which is the most serious legal basis for international detention.

A Red Notice allows for the arrest of the wanted person in any country and their extradition to the country requesting the search. According to reliable sources, Benalla is currently residing in a third country, where extradition procedures have already been initiated.

Interpol’s decision was based on a legal request submitted in 2024 as part of the criminal case investigated by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service.