DUSHANBE, July 1, 2009, Asia-Plus — Rumors about the former head of Tajik Air (Tajik national air carrier) Hokimsho Tilloyev that were spread lately are absolutely unfounded, a group of Tajik Air employees said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
According to them, Mr. Tilloyev worked fairly, and therefore, he made many ill-wishers. “When Hokimsho Tilloyev headed Tajik Air in 2006, the company’s debts exceeded 20 million U.S. dollars and Tajik Air’s losses in 2005 alone amounted to some 4 million U.S. dollars,” said they, “Tilloyev served as director of Tajik Air from January 30, 2006 to November 21, 2008 and over this period, the company has repaid all its debts. The company realized a profit of 19 million somoni in 2006 and the profit of more than 52 million somoni in 2007 and wages of employees were increased 2-4 times.”
During his tenure as director of Tajik Air, Tajikistan leased Western type aircraft for the first time and waiting room at the Dushanbe airport was renovated, they said.
“On an initiative of Hokimsho Tilloyev and with support of the government the French contingent deployed at the Dushanbe airport provided a large amount for rehabilitation of the runway and improvement of the territory of the Dushanbe airport, as well as an agreement on construction of a new international terminal was reached,” the Tajik Air employees said.
“The Prosecutor-General’s Office instituted criminal proceedings against Mr. Hokimsho Tilloyev following an application by Burhoniddin Tolibov, an owner of open joint-stock company (OJSC) “Zelyony Bilet” (Green Ticket), who has private accounts with Tilloyev,” said former colleagues of Tilloyev, “We are sure that relevant bodies will prove groundlessness of charges brought against Hokimsho Tilloyev in the near future.”
Asia-Plus got in touch with Hokimsho Tilloyev but he refused to comment on rumors and charges brought against him.
We will recall that Mr. Hokimsho Tilloyev was detained on June 17, just a few days after the Prosecutor-General’s Office instituted criminal proceedings against him. Officials at the Prosecutor-General’s Office noted that the charges brought against Tilloyev were not linked to his tenure as director general of Tajik Air but rather to his work with a private company he had established after leaving the national air carrier. According to them, Tilloyev could not pay his company’s debts and his creditors made official complaints.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on June 18 that many observers link Tilloyev”s case to the restructuring of Tajik Air in which it will be divided into seven separate companies and foreign airlines will be allowed to compete with the national airline for flights. Tilloyev opposed the reorganization, observers said.
On June 19, Tilloyev was released from the pretrial detention facility at the Dushanbe police directorate after giving a written undertaking not to leave a place.
