DUSHANBE, August 23, 2012, Asia-Plus — Former drug control official has got a long jail term for drug smuggling and abuse of office.
The Supreme Court of Tajikistan sentenced Ravshanbek Mirzoahmadov, former chief of the Operative Directorate at the Drugs Control Agency (DCA), to 18 years in prison on August 23. The sentence followed his conviction on charges of abuse of office, drug smuggling, and hiding and forging documents.
Mr. Justice Mahmadali Abdulhaqov, who presided over the trial, says two other men who were tried along with Mirzoahmadov got a jail term of sixteen years each for their involvement in drug smuggling.
The trail began on July 18 this year.
We will recall that Ravshanbek Mirzoahmadov and two other persons who were tried along with him delivered their last statements in the courtroom on August 13.
While delivering his final statement, Mirzoahmadov said, “I did not violate the law, I was just doing my job. More than 145 kilograms of drugs have been seized in two days due to information provided by these two guys who are being tried along with me.”
According to him, the investigation group failed to produce proofs to support charges brought against him. Mirzoahmadov asked the court to acquit him.
Two other men who were tried along with Mirzoahmadov asked the court to remit their case for further examination “because their role was just to provide assistance to the counternarcotics agency with seizing the consignment of drugs.”
Prosecutors asked the Supreme Court to sentence a former senior official at the counternarcotics agency to 22 years in prison and two other defendants to 18 years in jail each for their alleged involvement in drugs smuggling.
Mirzoahmadov”s lawyer said the charges brought against her client had not been proven.
Ravshanbek Mirzoahmadov was arrested in March along with several officials from the Interior Ministry and two other civilians.
