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Azerbaijani media on Wednesday disseminated information suggesting the Milan court has acquitted former Italian MP Luca Volontè, who has been involved in a corruption scandal around Azerbaijan at PACE and stands accused of receiving a €2.39 million bribe from Azerbaijan to push forward the country’s interests.

Azerbaijani MP Elkhan Suleymanov, who is also involved in the same scandal, released a statement saying Volontè has been acquitted, noting in a pathetic manner that, “I extend my condolences to all organizers of slander campaign against my country, me and Luca Volontè, and to all who supported Armenians”.

Moreover, commenting on the judgement issued by the Milan court, the Azerbaijani president's Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov threatened to initiate legal proceedings against all those who organized the anti-Azerbaijan campaign.

The Azeri official noted that the structure called Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), that disseminated the information, has been founded by ‘anti-Azerbaijani forces aimed at tarnishing Azerbaijan's international image’.

Today, Drew Sullivan‏, the editor and co-founder of OCCRP, gave a rather harsh response to Ali Hasanov on Twitter.

“To the corrupt family-run dictatorship of Azerbaijan and Mr. Ali Hasanov, who likes to threaten journalists: You are wrong. Mr. Volonte was acquitted of money laundering charges but still faces corruption charges for the money your country sent him. We have more coming,” he tweeted.

To the corrupt family-run dictatorship of #Azerbaijan and Mr. @Hasanov_Ali, who likes to threaten journalists: You are wrong. Mr. Volonte was acquitted of money laundering charges but still faces corruption charges for the money your country sent him. We have more coming.

— Drew Sullivan (@DrewOCCRP) February 15, 2018

Famous Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova has slammed the Azerbaijani media reports as a ‘PR disaster’.

“This is PR disaster. By threatening journalists and lying about the court case they just reminded foreign media about a bribe and one more excuse to talk about Azerbaijan-CoE corruption,” the reporter wrote on Twitter.

To remind, PACE has created an independent external investigation body to carry out a detailed independent inquiry into allegations of "corruption and fostering of interests" made against certain PACE members or former members.  The body will carry out its mission in the greatest confidentiality until its completion. Initially the body was set to submit a report on its findings until 31 December 2017, however the date was extended to the PACE April session.