DUSHANBE, February 2, 2016, Asia-Plus – Ishoq Tabarov, the defense lawyer of the jailed Tajik tycoon Zayd Saidov, has appealed to President Emomali Rahmon asking to stop illegal actions of bailiffs, who began confiscating properties of Zayd Saidov’s relatives several days ago.
According to him, Zayd Saidov’s relatives have been keeping houses separately from him, and therefore, their properties cannot be confiscated.
Meanwhile, bailiffs do not take this into consideration, the lawyer said. “It is not only illegal but it is also cruel, because more than 50 people, including minors, may be thrown out on the street,” Tabarov noted.
We will recall that Zayd Saidov’s eldest son, Khairullo Saidov, said on January 25 that he and other relatives have received notices from bailiffs demanding that they leave their dwelling houses.
Zayd Saidov was convicted on charges of financial fraud, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor and sentenced to a 26-year prison term on December 25, 2013.
On August 11, 2015, Zayd Saidov had three years added to his 26-year prison sentence.
Originally, prosecutors wanted to add 25 years to Saidov’s existing sentence and the court decided on 20 years for the new charges.
The new charges were for forgery, abuse of office, embezzlement, and tax evasion and the case nominally revolved around construction of the Dushanbe-Plaza Center and alleged illegal privatization of a joint-stock company in conjunction with Saidov’s time as the Tajik Minister of Industry from 2002 to 2007.
But Tajik legislation limits the overall period of imprisonment to 30 years. By adding three years to Saidov’s existing sentence he will serve 29 years in prison.
The court reportedly also imposed a 34 million-somoni fine on Zayd Saidov.
Zayd Saidov maintains innocence and his supporters say the case against Zayd Saidov was politically motivated.
