In accordance with a ruling handed down by a court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district on October 19, ex-deputy chief of the Interior Ministry Drug Enforcement Directorate (UBNON), Jourakhon Nusratullozoda, has been released after paying an 80,000 somoni (equivalent to 8,700 U.S. dollars) fine.

Recall, Nusratullozoda was detained in early August this year for a large-scale bribery.  According to the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, Nusratullozoda was caught red-handed while taking 19,800 U.S. dollars from a person for exempting him from criminal liability. 

Nusratullozoda was reelased on October 9 after paying the 80,000 somoni fne.  

Who else was released after paying a fine?   

Najmiddin Saidov, the brother of the Customs Service head Abdufattoh Ghoib, was released in October 2015 after paying a 200,000 somoni fine.

He was released under a ruling handed down by a court in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district on October 23, 2015.

Najmiddin Saidov the head of Tojik Sodirot Bonk (TSB)’s branch in Khalton’s Danghara district, was reportedly detained by officers of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) on suspicion of a large-scale bribery.  He reportedly acted as mediator in the act of handing over a large amount of money.

According to some sources, Najmiddin Saidov had demanded 600,000 U.S. dollars for the position of the head of the Customs Service’s office in Sughd province.  He was reportedly caught red-handed while taking part of the money.  Criminal institutions were instituted against him; he faced charge of a large-scale bribery.

In 2014, former judge at the Vahdat city court, Mirmahmad Odinayev, was released under a ruling handed down by the Supreme Court.  He was charged with taking a US$4,000 bribe.  Odinayev was released after paying a 30,000 somoni fine. 

Jail term or fine     

On February 10, 2016, deputies of Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament (Majlisi Oli) unanimously endorsed amendments proposed by the Government to the country’s Penal Code.  Under those amendments, persons convicted of a bribery offense could be released after paying a fine at a rate of 200 somoni per each day of a jail term. 

Meanwhile, the authorities this year toughened punishment for bribery. Under amendments proposed to the country’s Penal Code by the Government this year, persons convicted of a bribery offense cannot be released after paying a fine.  They will serve their jail terms.

The amendments were endorsed by the Majlisi Namoyandagon on June 14, 2018.  Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) seconded the amendments on August 2, 2018.  The amendment made to the country’s penal code stipulate that bribe taking is punishable by five to twelve years in jail, in some cases with confiscation of property and bribe giving is punishable by five to 10 years in jail with confiscation of property