A corruption scandal has erupted at Bolt’s Azerbaijan operations after fleet owners and drivers filed complaints directly with the company’s headquarters in Estonia, alleging systemic bribery, selective treatment, and abuse of power by local management.
Following the complaints, Bolt conducted an internal audit of financial and managerial processes at its Baku office. The investigation resulted in the dismissal of country office head Naim Azizov, along with several other employees.
A system of manufactured problems
The internal review uncovered what appears to have been a well-organised scheme in which drivers were blocked from the platform on various pretexts. When they turned to the local office for resolution, their requests were ignored, only for an intermediary to appear shortly after, offering to “resolve the issue” for 200–300 manats. Once the payment was made, the block was lifted immediately.
A similar pattern was identified in the document renewal process. Fleet operators reported that their paperwork was deliberately held up with fabricated errors, which conveniently disappeared after bribes of several thousand manats were paid.
The alleged corruption extended to Bolt’s advertising program as well. Drivers who place branded advertisements on their vehicles are entitled to bonuses, but complainants say the system has been manipulated. The office would announce that a campaign was suspended, yet drivers from fleets that paid 500 manats continued to receive their advertising bonuses uninterrupted. In branches where advertising stickers were officially banned, certain individuals were reportedly allowed to bypass the restriction — again, for 500 manats.
Selective access and unexplained blocks
One fleet owner described a pattern of discriminatory treatment: while vehicles belonging to “connected” individuals were onboarded without issue, his fleet was blocked without explanation despite having tens of thousands of manats in positive balance and a spotless payment record to drivers. His appeals to Bolt were met with formulaic responses.
Access to lucrative ride categories, including airport pickups and certain intra-city services, was also reportedly restricted and made available only to select fleets.
Another grievance concerned Bolt’s selfie verification system. Drivers were automatically blocked if they completed the verification from a different device or if their phone camera malfunctioned — even when technical data such as IP address and geolocation confirmed the driver’s identity. Local offices refused to review these cases.
Pressure on whistleblowers
When the allegations became public, the situation took a troubling turn. Drivers and fleet owners who had filed complaints reported receiving calls from the office pressuring them to withdraw their grievances. Initially, dozens of people supported the initiative to escalate the matter to Estonia, but most later reversed their position – a development that, according to the complainants, only deepened suspicions of intimidation.
One fleet owner stated he possesses video and audio recordings, as well as receipts, documenting the collection and distribution of payments tied to the advertising scheme. He said he is prepared to present all evidence in person at any level, including at Bolt’s Estonian headquarters.
Bolt confirms leadership changes
In an official statement, Bolt’s Azerbaijani office confirmed the management shakeup while framing it within the company’s broader compliance framework.
“We can confirm that there have been changes in the Bolt local ride-hailing leadership in Azerbaijan. This decision does not affect our ride-hailing operations nor other business lines,” the company said.
Bolt stated that it “takes any claims of misconduct extremely seriously” and maintains “zero tolerance for violations of internal policies, ethical standards, or applicable laws.”
The company emphasized that it regularly assesses operational and financial processes across its markets and expects all platform partners to adhere to its standards of compliance, integrity, and lawful conduct.
The company also encouraged drivers and fleet partners to report concerns through official channels, reaffirming its commitment to operating in Azerbaijan “in a fair, transparent, and compliant manner.”
A test of corporate governance
The scandal presents a significant reputational challenge for Bolt, one of Europe’s largest mobility platforms, as it highlights how local management layers can diverge from corporate standards in markets with weaker oversight.
