DUSHANBE, October 3, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption has instituted criminal proceedings against Mahmadullo Qurbonov, ex-director of the Norak hydroelectric power station (HPS), who is charged with embezzlement of state funds.

The source at the anticorruption agency said, “The preliminary investigation has established that abusing their positions, Qurbonov and his deputy, Mahmadali Halimov, jointly with top managers of the limited liability company Nourafzo-2005 office embezzled 580,000 somoni of state funds in January 2006, forging documents for purchase of spare parts.”  Besides, the Norak HPS administration misappropriated 702,700 somoni while making a deal with the limited liability company Komron-Sh, the source said.

According to him, criminal proceedings have been instituted against Qurbonov and Halimov under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – Article 245 (embezzlement or misappropriation) and Article 323 (service forgery). 

We will recall that by government’s resolution of September 13 Mahmadullo Qurbonov was relieved of his post of director of the Norak HPS.