KONIBODOM, October 11, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Sughd regional court is considering criminal proceedings instituted against ex-member of the Konibodom legislature (Majls) Solijon Chulponov.

Mr. Justice Sodiq Vahhobov, who is presiding over the trial, told Asia-Plus today that Chulponov is accused of land speculation.

Chulponov faces charges of fraud, monopolistic actions and limited competition, and illegal foreign currency bargain.

A prosecutor in the trial of Solijon Chulponov has asked the Sughd regional court to sentence Chulponov to a 16-year prison term.

In the meantime Chuloponov’s defense lawyer Iborhim Isoyev states that Chulponov is not guilty and that he has just become victim of circumstances.  According to him, Chulponov trusted ex-Konibodom mayor Hiloliddin Shamsiddinov, who was instructing appropriate bodies to prepare necessary documents for allotment of land plots to citizens and he was also ordering Chulponov to follow those instructions.

“Because of his insufficient legal awareness, Chulponov was continuing to regulate land plots and collect money from the population, without going into the heart of the matter,” the lawyer said.

He further added that the ex-mayor had illegally transferred 52.56 hectares of lands from the reserve fund to the housing stock and incumbent Konibodom mayor Numonjon Obidov had annulled that decision.