In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the head of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, Sulaimon Sultonzoda, noted on August 1 that the traffic police officer Saidsho Sharipov, who had been extorting money from Romanian tourists, had been pardoned.
According to him, criminal proceedings were instituted against Sharipov in early June this year under the provisions of Article 314 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – abuse of office.
“Investigation has taken into account that Sharipov made a voluntary confession about the incident and was fired. Besides, investigation has taken into consideration that Sharipov has underage children to keep. Therefore, the case has been dropped,” Tajik anticorruption chief officer noted.
Recall, the Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into the corruption incident involving Kulob traffic police officers and Romanian tourists. The fact of bribery has been recorded on video.
Romanian tourist Mihai Sika told his story on social media. According him, he and his friend in July last year traveled by bikes to the Pamirs (Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
On the way back to Dushanbe they were stopped by traffic police officers on July 28, 2017 at the entrance to Kulob.
One of the traffic officers said that the Romanian tourists had violated the road regulations. At first, he reportedly demanded 500 somoni but then agreed for 200 somoni.
The video appeared on YouTube on May 28 and the Interior Ministry launched the investigation in to the incident in the evening of May 31.
