KHUJAND, June 7, 2011, Asia-Plus — Chief of a penal settlement in Sughd province faces bribery ad extortion charges.
The Sughd prosecutor’s office has reportedly instituted criminal proceedings against Ghulomali Poulodov, the chief of the Khujand penal settlement, YaS-3/11, under the provisions of Article 319 (4) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – bribery and extortion.
The source at the Sughd prosecutor’s office says Poulodov was extorting bribes from K.H., who was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for drug trafficking. On December 29, 2009, K.H. was transferred to the penal settlement to serve his remaining term. He was supposed to be released on November 2, 2011.
“Every ten days, the penal settlement chief extorted 200 to 500 somoni from K.H., promising early release,” said the source, “On June 1, K.H. informed the Sughd prosecutor’s office of that and Poulodov was caught red-handed on June 2, when he was receiving a bribe in a form 1 ton of cement for construction of his house. An investigation is under way.”
Over the first five months of this year, Sughd prosecutors have reportedly elicited 11 cases of receipt of bribe by local officials.
