DUSAHNBE, April 24, 2009, Asia-Plus – A Tajik Labor and Social Protection Ministry official has been arrested by the country”s anticorruption agency, RFE/RL”s Tajik Service reported on April 23.
Odina Ghafforov, the anticorruption agency”s deputy chief in the southern Khatlon Province, said that Uktam Kuldoshev forged documents through which he received 550,000 somoni (about $143,000) from the local Amonatbonk (Tajikistan’s savings bank), falsely claiming the money would be going to pensioners.
But Amonatbonk officials told RFE/RL that Kuldoshev”s documents had authentic stamps and signatures on them.
There are some 180,000 pensioners in Khatlon, to whom the government now owes 2 million somoni.
Officials of the anticorruption agency added that they will now begin an examination of Tajikistan”s pension payment system.
