DUSHANBE , April 4, Asia-Plus - The Military Board of Tajikistan’s Supreme Court has completed consideration of criminal proceedings instituted against three officers of the Tajik Ministry of Defense (MoD). 

“The have faced charges of bribery, abuse of power, and service forgery,” Mahmadullo Yusupov, head of the Supreme Court department for public relations, said.   According to him, Lieutenant-Colonel Bakhtiyor Mirzoyev, commander of one of the MoD sub-units, charged with bribery, abuse of power, service forgery and swindling, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.  “The investigation has established that Mirzoyev has been repeatedly exempting servicemen from military service for a certain recompense,” Yusupov said.  

According to him, Major Ali Kholmatov, chief of staff of this sub-unit, has also bee involved in this case.  He has been given seven years’ imprisonment for giving bribe to his commander.  

The Supreme Court public relations department head says two recruitment officers -- Lieutenant-Colonel Urunboy Aliyev from the Jabborrasulov military registration and enlistment office and Ergash Rahmatulloyev from the Rudaki military registration and enlistment office -- have also been in the dock.  They have been sentenced to four years in jail each for giving bribes to Bakhtiyor Mirzoyev.