DUSHANBE, April 6, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court has ruled that a contract on privatization of Isfara’s cannery be annulled and that the plant should be returned to state, Amirkhoja Ghoibnazarov, Chairman Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court, remarked at après conference in Dushanbe on April 15.  

According to him, the court has handed down such a ruling following application by the Agency for the State Financial Control and Combating Corruption.  

Investigation has established that the cannery was privatized by closed joint-stock company (CJSC) Sharaf with serious violation of the country’s legislation, Ghoibnazarov said.     

Last year, Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court handed down rulings to annul contracts on seven state-owned facilities that had been privatized illegally.    

Asked about state-owned properties that were privatized during the civil war and straight after it, the Higher Economic Court head noted that the Higher Economic Court does not have authority for inspecting a procedure of privatization of one or another facility independently. 

“However, it will be possible if we have authorization of prosecutor’s office or in the event of arising of any disputes and citizen applications,” the judge said.