DUSHANBE, January 3, 2014, Asia-Plus — A pastor of Sonmin Sunbogym Korean Church, Mr. Lee Jong Bun, 70, who is living temporarily in Khujand, the capital of the Tajik northern of Sughd has reportedly been detained for an attempt of giving a US$20,000 bribe to an officer from the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan (SCNS), according to the SCNSN press center.
Mr. Lee Jong Bun is reportedly founder of a private diagnostic center in the northern city of Chkalovsk.
The SCNS press center reports that a joint inspection carried out by security officers and specialists from the Agency for Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection (Tojikstandart) at the private diagnostic center in Chkalovsk has revealed multiple cases of violation of the country’s legislation and consumers’ rights.
“This center has not observed the rules of delivery and storage of medicines. Some 500 items of expired medicines have been smuggled into the country,” said the source. “Besides, five surgical operations have been conducted at this center without proper licenses of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan.”
According to the source, Mr. Lee Jong Bun was caught red-handed while giving a US$20,000 bribe to the SCNS officer.
This diagnostic center was reportedly established in Chkalovsk in 2000 by Korean national, Mr. Lee Jong Bun, who is a pastor of Sonmin Sunbogym Korean Church.
According to the SCNS press center, Mr. Lee Jong Bun arrived in Tajikistan in 1992 and he established the Korean Christian mission (Sonmin Grace Church) in Dushanbe. Tajik authorities prohibited the activity of Grace Sonmin Church in the country in 1999.
Mr. Lee Jong Bun is also owner of a private secondary school “Fayz,” shopping center and Heson Hotel in Sughd province. Multiple violations have reportedly been revealed at these facilities as well.
The source noted that Mr. Lee Jong Bun had previously also been convicted of delivery of expired medicines to Tajikistan. “The Khujand city court sentenced him to two years and six months in prison in 2008,” the source said, noting that the sentence followed his conviction on charges of giving bribe and document forgery.
