DUSHANBE, August 20, 211, Asia-Plus — “The Interior Ministry is currently conducting an internal investigation and we cannot yet know exactly who is right and who is to blame,” Jourakhon Zoirov, head of the Interior Ministry organized crime control department (UBOP), told
Asia-Plus
in an interview on Saturday, commenting on a statement by Valikhon Mulloyev, head of the UBOP division for combating human trafficking, against
Asia-Plus’s
defense lawyers.
“In an application lodged to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, your lawyers ask to find threat by Valikhon Mulloyev against them to be real because he is duty-bound to have access to weapon ,” noted Zoirov, “Meanwhile, Mulloyev has not taken the government-issue weapon over the past half-year. He never packs a gun.”
According to Zoirov, he has talked to Mulloyev regarding that issue and Mulloyev stated that the lawyers’ statement is “slander.” “In the near future, he intends to apply to the Prosecutor’s Office over the statement by your lawyers,” said the UBOP chief, “He is also going to make an official statement on this issue through Internet.”
Zoirov further added that if the internal investigation confirms that Mulloyev really threatened the
Asia
-Plus’s
lawyers, an administrative action will be imposed upon him.
“In my opinion, this statement by your lawyers is just an attempt to wreck the trial,” the UBOP chief stated.
Valikhon Mulloyev himself also noted that the Interior Ministry was currently conducting the internal investigation. “They have checked whether I took the gun lately or not,” said Mulloyev. “I do not need it, and therefore, I never pack it. I said that the lawyers’ statement is “slander.” I have served with the law enforcement agencies for already twenty-eight years. Do you really think that I could say so?”
He confirmed that he is going to apply to the Prosecutor’s Office over the Asia-Plus lawyers’ statement after the internal investigation is completed.
We will recall that hearing over lawsuit filed by Anvar Taghoymurodov, who is former head of UBOP and current deputy interior minister, against the
Asia-Plus
newspaper was resumed in the court of Dushanbe’s Firdvasi district on August 17.
Valikhon Mulloyev represents Taghoymurodov in the trail and according to the
Asia-Plus’s
lawyers Shuhrat Qudratov and Abdurahmon Sharipov, he threatened them. The lawyers say Mulloyev allegedly called them “enemies of the police” and said, “I would personally shoot you.” He then allegedly added, “I will destroy you in every possible way.” According to them, he repeated that several times in the presence of witnesses. On August 18, the lawyers applied to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, asking to find the threat by Valikhon Mulloyev against them to be real because he is duty-bound to have access to weapon and the Interior Ministry launched a probe into that case on August 19.
