DUSHANBE, January 28, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption is accountable to the president and only he has the right to evaluate its activity.
The anticorruption agency director Sherkhon Salimzoda remarked this at a press conference in Dushanbe on January 28, while commenting on a statement made by Tajik chide prosecutor Bobojon Bobokhonov on January 13.
We will recall that speaking to reporters on January 13, Tajik chief prosecutor sharply criticized activity of the anticorruption agency. According to him, the anticorruption agency has not yet brought to court any serious corruption-related case, “while seven-digit numbers always figure in its top mangers’ reports.” Bobokhonov noted that reparation of damages have decreased compared to the previous years because work carried out by the anticorruption agency has many shortcomings and requires additional investigation.
Salimzoda noted that it was private onion of the chief prosecutor. “In the meantime, our data demonstrates efficiency of our activities,” he said.
According to him, the anticorruption agency last year conducted 1,092 inspections. Corruption cost the country some 96 million somoni, according to findings by the anticorruption agency. Monetary deficit and embezzlement of state funds accounted for 21.7 percent of this amount.
Due to inspections conducted last year, 33.7 million somoni, or 35.3 percent of the mentioned amount, were reimbursed, Salimzoda said.
Overall, 1,309 officers were implicated in wrongdoing and now face disciplinary action; 85 of them were sacked for engaging in corrupt practices
The anticorruption agency uncovered 895 corruption cases, 281 of which were embezzlement of state funds, monetary deficit, and fraud, 161 were bribery cases with 127 of them involving officials of state institutions.
The agency to fight corruption was established by president’s decree of January 10, 2007. The Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption now have a staff of 500 and it performs functions previously carried out by the State Financial Control Committee, Main Tax Police Directorate, Directorate for Combating Corruption, and other agencies.
Tajikistan ranked 150th out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s annual corruption index.
