Two drug control officers detained in Tajikistan on bribery charges
DUSHANBE. March 30 (Interfax) - Two senior officers of the Tajik President's Drug Control Agency have been detained on bribery charges, the Tajik State Financial Control and Anti-Corruption Agency reported on Monday.
Rustam Emomali, 27-year-old son of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, headed the Anti-Corruption Agency two weeks ago. The detention may be the first high-profile case opened in his term of office.
"The Drug Control Agency's investigative department chief Saidmukhtor Bekov and fifth operational investigation division head Ergash Malikov are suspected of taking a large bribe," the report said.
Anti-Corruption Agency detectives said that Bekov and Malikov had offered family of a man arrested on drug trafficking counts to pay a bribe of $50,000. They were paid $42,000 and raised their demand to $80,000.
The family of the arrested man complained to the Anti-Corruption Agency. The officers were caught taking a bribe at a gasoline fueling station in Dushanbe.
They were charged under Article 319.4 of the Tajik Criminal Code, a large bribe taken by a group of officials. If found guilty, they may be sentenced from seven to twelve years with property confiscation.
The Drug Control Agency was founded in June 1999. It is enjoying broad support from the United Nations which partially finances its activity. The Agency has seized tonnes of drugs smuggled into the republic from Afghanistan.
