DUSHANBE, January 13, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik chief prosecutor has criticized activity of the anticorruption agency.

Speaking to reporters, the Prosecutor General Bobojon Bobokhonov stated today that the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption has not yet brought to court any serious corruption-related case, “while seven-digit numbers always figure in its top mangers’ reports.”

According to him, reparation of damages decreased compared to the previous years because work carried out by the anticorruption agency has many shortcomings and requires additional investigation.  “Although we try to thoroughly support them, it is to be noted that the agency has not coped with its task,” the chief prosecutor said.

A new agency to fight corruption was established by president’s decree of January 10, 2007.  The Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption now have a staff of 500 and it performs functions previously carried out by the State Financial Control Committee, Main Tax Police Directorate, Directorate for Combating Corruption, and other agencies.  Sherkhon Salimzoda is director of the anticorruption agency.

We will recall that Salimzoda noted at a press conference in Dushanbe on December 9, 2008 that corruption cost Tajikistan at least $26.5 million in 2008.  He noted that the country’s shadow economy was believed to be steadily growing.  According to him, the anticorruption agency uncovered 815 corruption cases, 281 of which were serious.  Overall, more than 1,145 officers were implicated in wrongdoing and now face disciplinary action.  58 officials have already been sacked for engaging in corrupt practices.

Tajikistan ranked 150th out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s annual corruption index.