DUSHANBE, September 1, 2014, Asia-Plus — Abdufattoh Ghoib, Director of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, has recently met with Tajikistan’s Legal Consortium head Rahmatillo Zoyirov, who is representing Shuhrat Qudratov, the defense lawyer for jailed Tajik businessman Zayd Saidov, during his bribery trial.
Rahmatillo Zoyirov, who is also the leader of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP), says the anticorruption agency chief has agreed to meet with him after his appeal to President Emomali Rahmon.
“During the meeting, we have discussed the case details and Mr. Ghoib noted that the meeting will serve as a bridge for cooperation between the government agencies and independent human rights institutions,” Zoyirov told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, the meeting is a step towards constructive cooperation.
We will recall that in a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the anticorruption agency chief said on July 30 he has no doubt that Shuhrat Qudratov is guilty. If convicted, Shuhrat Qudratov could face between five and ten years in jail, Abdufattoh Ghoib noted.
Shuhrat Qudratov faces charges of bribery, fraud, attempted crime and complicity in crime.
A statement, released by the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption on July 22, notes that Shuhrat Qudratov represented Amirali Sulamayev during his fraud trial in a court in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district.
According to the statement, Qudratov offered a bribe of 2,500 U.S. dollars to Judge Nizamov for bringing in an acquittal for his client. Qudratov was reportedly detained by anticorruption officers on July 21 while he was taking money from his client.
Criminal proceedings were instituted on July 21 under the provisions of three articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 36 – complicity in crime; Article 32 – preparation for crime or attempted crime; and Article 320 – bribery.
Shuhrat Qudratov is the deputy head of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) and SDP leader Rahmatillo Zoyirov is representing Qudratov during his bribery trial.
It is to be noted that Qudratov is the second defense lawyer for Zayd Saidov to be detained by Tajik authorities. In March, Saidov’s defense lawyer Fakhriddin Zokirov was arrested for his alleged debts to a local bank. Zokirov’s case has already moved to a court.
