Properties of some of informal leaders of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) owing money to Amonatbonk have been put on auction, Ruhullo Hakimzoda, the head of Amonatbonk (Tajikistan’s savings bank), told reporters in Dushanbe on July 18.
According to him, a total amount of loans taken by relatives of GBAO informal leaders Yodgor Mamadaslamov and Tolib Ayombekov in 2008 is 1.265 million somoni. 700,000 somoni were taken by relatives of Yodgor Mamadaslamov and 565,000 somoni were taken by relatives of Tolib Ayombekov.
“To-date, only relatives of Yodgor Mamadaslamov have repaid the loans completely, while Tolib Ayombekov has repaid the loans only partially,” Hakimzoda said, noting that some of properties of Tolib Ayombekov have been put on auction.
Tolib Ayombekov (born on March 2, 1965), a former civil war-era commander, had held the position of commander of battalion of the Interior Ministry internal troops deployed in Khorog as part of a power-sharing agreement that had given the opposition 30-percent representation in government. In 2005, he was appointed chief of a major border post near GBAO’s capital, Khorog. He retired in 2012 after he was accused of organizing an illegal armed gang and drug smuggling.
According to data from Tajik special services, Ayombekov has criminal ties with more than 40 nationals of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; among them are officers of the law enforcement agencies of Afghan provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar.
He reportedly also has ties with organized crime groups in Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Ayombekov is involved in smuggling tobacco products, precious stones, weapons and drugs.
Tolib Ayombekov is the brother of Abdulamon Ayombekov, who was also known as Alyosha Gorbun. Abdulamon Ayombekov was one of commanders of the Gorno Badakhshan Self-Defense Forces, which was part of the Tajik United Opposition (UTO), and one the most famous drug dealers in in Tajikistan in the 1990s. Abdulamon Ayombekov was killed in 1994.
Tolib Ayombekov reportedly holds several expensive luxury cars like Toyota Land Cruiser, Audi, Infinity, Mazda and other models as well as hotels in the territories of hydropathics “Avj” in Ishkashim district and “Jelondi” in Shugnan district.
Yodgor Mamadaslamov (born on July 15, 1958) is former field commander of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO). He has authority with criminal authorities of Gorno Badakhshan. According to Tajik law enforcement authorities, Mamadaslamov is the leader of the criminal group involved in smuggling drugs, precious stones and weapons.
Yodgor Mamadaslamov reportedly holds ten vehicles, including three KamAZ (heavy trucks), five cars (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and VAZ), two gasoline tankers, as well as refueling station, several shop and hotel in the village of Porshnev.
Amonatbonk is the only state-owned bank. It is one of the oldest in Tajikistan (established in 1925) and one of the largest based upon various criteria – including the number of branches and the number of served clients. The institution is unique in its orientation towards implementing social, pension and other state programs. Amonatbonk has 5 regional centers, more than 70 branches and nearly 500 agencies. This gives the institution a presence in the most remote mountainous parts of the country.
