DUSHANBE, May 18, 2013, Asia-Plus — Head of the Initiative Group for formation of a “New Tajikistan” party is expected to return to Dushanbe from France today night.
“Zayd Saidov who heads the Table Tennis Federation of Tajikistan is currently in Paris, where the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships are going on,” said Mahmoudjon Qosimov, one of members of the Initiative Group. “During ten days that Zayd Saidov is in Paris, I have had several phone conversations with him and he every time said that he will return home.”
We will recall that on May 11, the Dushanbe prosecutor’s office instituted criminal proceedings against Zayd Saidov under the provisions of Article 170 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – polygamy. Prosecutors searched Saidov’s home and questioned his sons over polygamy allegations.
According to the press center of the Dushanbe prosecutor’s office, criminal proceedings have been instituted against Zayd Saidov following operational information received from relevant bodies. Zayd Saidov allegedly has four wives at the same time.
On May 10, the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption instituted criminal proceedings against the management of Toj Sokhtmon Bainalmillal, which constructed Dushanbe’s tallest tower, the 20-storey Dushanbe Plaza, under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 245 (2, 4) – large-scale embezzlement and repeat embezzlement; and Article 340 – document forgery. The founder of this company is Saidov’s son, Khairullo Saidov.
The statement that was released by the anticorruption agency on May 14, in particular, notes that according to the findings of the inspection conducted by the anticorruption officers, Toj Sokhtmon Bainalmillal forged documents and embezzled 1.96 million somoni while constructing Dushanbe Plaza.
The overwhelming majority of local experts consider that the allegations are part of growing pressure against Zayd Saidov by authorities since he announced his political intentions.
We will recall that the formation of a new political party – Tojikistoni Nav (New Tajikistan) – was declared in Dushanbe on April 6.
Initiated by Zayd Saidov, Shavkat Bozorov, the of the National Association of Managers and Marketing Specialists of Tajikistan, Abdughani Mamadazimov, the head of the Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan, as well as heads of a number of business associations, the new political party reportedly aims to promote the achievement of economic independence of Tajikistan.
According to its initiators, the Party of New Tajikistan “is a platform for union of ideas, views, personalities and opportunities for national creation.” The Party of New Tajikistan is reportedly the party of pragmatists, innovators, technocrats and professionals.
Zayd Saidov, 55, graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tajik National University in 1983. In 1993-1999, he was director-general of the Moscow-based Joint-Stock Company (JSC) Khalif. From 1999 to 2006, Zayd Saidov served as Minister of Industry of Tajikistan. From 2007 up to now, Zayd Saidov is Chairman of the Association of Entrepreneurs and Producers of Tajikistan. He is also head of the Table Tennis Federation of Tajikistan.
