Criminal proceedings instituted against M. Shukurzoda, an investigator from the Isfara police department, have reportedly moved to court.
According to information from the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption under the President of Tajikistan, Shukurzoda was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of 20,000 somonis (TJS, equivalent to approximately US$1,800), according to Tajikistan’s Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption.
The incident occurred in February 2025, but details have only now been made public. The anticorruption agency’s press center says investigator Shukurzoda demanded the bribe from a citizen, identified as M.M., in exchange for halting part of a criminal case involving M.M.’s brother. The investigator allegedly promised to drop the charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Shukurzoda was caught in the act inside his car in Isfara shortly after receiving the money. Law enforcement officials seized the cash as material evidence during his arrest.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Shukurzoda under Article 319 (4) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code, which addresses the acceptance of bribes.
If convicted, Shukurzoda faces a fine of between 273,750 and 684,375 somonis (based on the official unit of calculation) or up to five years in prison, along with a possible three-year ban from holding public office.
The case has reportedly mover to a court with a confirmed indictment.
According to the anticorruption agency, a total of 2,323 corruption-related crimes were recorded across Tajikistan in 2024. The majority were linked to employees of local government bodies (257 cases), the education and science sectors (172 cases), and the Ministry of Defense (171 cases).
In Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Tajikistan ranked 164th out of 180 countries, falling one position compared to the previous year.
