The Deputy Mayor of Konibodom, Bahovaddin Bahovaddinzoda, has been fined 52,500 somoni for unlawfully distributing plots of land to 22 citizens. Despite the fine, he remains in office. The fine was announced by the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption’s office in Sughd province.
According to the agency, Bahovaddinzoda falsified documents in February 2023 to illegally allocate 512 square meters of land. The land was given to 22 residents of Konibodom without proper review or approval from the city commission. Instead, Bahovaddinzoda bypassed the required procedures and sent the documents directly to a higher commission, which approved the land allocations.
As a result of this incident, Bahovaddinzoda and another individual, N. Nozimzoda—whose role and identity remain unclear—have been charged with three criminal offenses under the Tajik Criminal Code: Abuse of Official Authority (Article 314, Part 1), Illegal Land Allocation (Article 338, Part 2, Subsections b and c), and Official Forgery (Article 323).
In October, the Konibodom court fined Bahovaddinzoda 52,500 somoni, while Nozimzoda received a fine of 45,000 somoni. The views of the convicted individuals on the court's decision have not been made public. However, the Konibodom administration confirmed to Asia-Plus that Bahovaddinzoda continues to hold his position, though the question of his dismissal is under review.
Safar Salimzoda, head of the anticorruption agency’s office in Sughd province, announced at a news conference on February 16 that in 2025, 83 corruption-related crimes involving 28 individuals were uncovered in local government bodies across the region.
In a related development, the former mayor of Konibodom, Abdusalom Tukhtasunzoda, was convicted of bribery and fraud after serving four years in office. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Several former officials from the city were also arrested at the same time, though their specific charges and sentences remain unknown.
It is also noteworthy that in 2024, a special investigative group was formed to look into a series of high-profile and mysterious murders in Konibodom. Between March and December 2024, 23 people, members of seven families, were killed. The Tajik Prosecutor-General’s Office reported in December 2024 that the crimes were solved and four suspects were arrested.
