DUSHANBE, June 20, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Prosecutor-General’s Office gave a press conference on June 19 over the death of the ex-Minister of Interiors Mahmadnazar Solehov. Speaking to reporters, Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobokhonov denied reports released by some media that Solehov had been killed during police raid as absolutely unfounded. According to him, Solehov committed suicide by shooting himself from illegally possessed pistol Makarov.
“When several officers from the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor-General’s Office came Thursday evening to arrest Mahmadnazar Solehov, he and two his friends were having dinner. They were dinking alcohol and forensic medical examination proved that,” Bobokhonov said.
Tajik chief prosecutor noted that when Solehov knew that the law enforcement officers came to arrest him, he went into another room and shot himself from the illegally possessed pistol Makarov.
Former head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs Rahmatullo Asadulloyev, who is relative of Mahmadnazar Solehov, proved to be the only witness who had seen how Solehov had committed suicide. “At that time I was in that room but it all happened so quickly…” said Asadulloyev.
He also denied reports released by some media and quoting Solehov’s 12-year-old son Khudoinazar as saying that his father had been killed as unfounded. “His sons, including Khudoinazar, were always with me both during detention and funeral ceremony and no reporter talked to them,” Asadulloyev said.
Speaking at the press conference, Haitqul Yuldoshev, a chief investigator with the Prosecutor-General’s Office, said that Mahmadnazar Solehov had been suspected of having been involved in five cases, including abuse of office, concealment of suspects and embezzlement of state funds. “We had enough evidence and criminal proceedings were instituted and arrest warrant for him was issued,” Yuldoshev said.
We will recall that some media reported that former interior minister Mahmadnazar Solehov was found dead Thursday (June 17) evening after he resisted detention by law enforcement officers who raided his home. Solehov”s 12-year-old son, Khudoinazar, was cited as saying that the men arrived at his father”s house claiming they were going to arrest him. He said he heard a gunshot during an argument behind closed doors between his father and the intruders and when he rushed into the room, he found his father dead.
In the meantime, the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Ministry of Interior on June 18 released a joint statement, which, in particular, says that ex-Minister of Interior Mahmadnazar Solehov committed suicide by shooting himself in his house in Dushanbe on June 17 at around 8:00 p.m.
According to the statement, Mahmadnazar Solehov had been summoned to the Prosecutor-General’s Office several times in recent months for questioning over cases related to abuse of office, deliberate hiding of crimes by some police officers, and the murder of the special police unit commander Oleg Zakharchenko in February 2008. “However, Mr. Solehov ignored summons without any valid reasons and never showed up,” the statement said, noting that the Prosecutor-General’s Office on June 17 issued arrest warrant for Mahmadnazar Solehov, “who had committed crimes against interests of public service during his serving as interior minister.”
We will recall that Mahmadnazar Solehov was relieved of his post of Minister of Interiors in January this year. Rahmon announced the sacking of Solehov at the annual session of the National Security Council in Dushanbe on January 29 and replaced him with Sughd province police chief Abdurahim Qahhorov.
