OCCRP: Ex-top anti-corruption officials jailed for corruption TJ
English summary
The news article, published by OCCRP on 20 September 2017 and reported by Bermet Talant, states that Tajikistan’s Supreme Court jailed at least nine former top anti-corruption officials in what it describes as the largest and most high-profile corruption case in the country’s history. According to the report, Firuz Kholmurodzoda, former deputy head of the investigations department at the State Anti-Corruption Agency, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The report states that he was one of the first to be arrested when the crackdown began in April and was charged with bribery and power abuse related to the period when he led the investigation of Tajik businessman and former Industry Minister Zayd Saidov in 2013. Saidov had been sentenced to 26 years in prison in 2013 for alleged financial fraud, polygamy and sexual relationships with minors — a case Human Rights Watch described as politically motivated because Saidov had openly criticised President Emomali Rahmon. The report states that five other former government officials were convicted of bribery and fraud on the same day as Kholmurodzoda. It names Amirsho Sultonzoda, former chief of the Department of Correctional Affairs at Dushanbe Prosecutor General’s Office, sentenced to nine years, and Kosim Saidzoda, former chief of the anti-corruption department at the Ministry of Transport, sentenced to seven years. The closed-door trial of 13 former top state officials began on 19 July 2017 in Dushanbe. Supreme Court head Shermuhammad Shokhiyon confirmed that 10 of the 13 officials on trial had worked at the State Anti-Corruption Agency, with three more from the State Customs Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office. Earlier verdicts at the end of July saw Davlatbek Hayrzoda, ex-deputy director of the anti-corruption agency, and Faridun Benazirzoda, head of Khudjand City Customs Office, each sentenced to 10.5 years for bribery. Fakhriddin Bozorov, former deputy chief of the Customs Control Service, received 8 years. Sources cited: Avesta.tj, RFE/RL, Akhbor, Asia-Plus.tj, Human Rights Watch.
Primary source
- Publisher
- OCCRP
- Language of original
- English — Latin
- Publication date
- 20 September 2017
- Original URL
- https://www.occrp.org/en/news/tajikistan-ex-top-anti-corruption-officials-jailed-for-corruption
English-language reference
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