KHUJAND, February 20, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Muzaffar Bobojonov, ex-top manager of the Khujand-based limited liability company, Tajik-Korea-Ceramic.

A source at the Sughd police directorate says the company had functioned for a short time – from December 2007 to October 2008.

“The preliminary investigation has established that on September 9, 2011, Bobojonov took 16,000 U.S. dollars from Dushanbe resident A.G., promising to him promising to include him in the Hajj quota,” said the source.  “Bobojonov spent the money on has own needs and escaped in an unknown direction.”

Bobojonov reportedly left the country before his arrest warrant was issued.

According to the statistical data from the Sughd police directorate, 180 fraud-related crimes were reported in northern Tajikistan in 2011 (in 2010, only 45 fraud-related crimes were registered in the area).