KHUJAND, July 27, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Two officers from the military registration and enlistment office in Sughd’s Bobojonghafurov district have been found not guilty of the charge of extortion officially brought against them.

The Khujand military court at the end of last week considered criminal proceedings instituted against two officers from the Bobojonghafurov military registration and enlistment office – Major Zohir Sobitov and Captain Mirshams Mirshamsov.  The officers faced charges of extortion and office.

The source at the Khujand military court said that Major Sobitov and Captain Mirshamsov had been charged with abuse of office and extorting $300 from local woman for letting her son go home.

“On November 30, 2008, they took a young man to the Bobojonghafurov district for medical examination,” said the source, “When his mother came and showed them the document certifying that her son is not fit for military service, the recruitment officers said that the document is counterfeit and demanded $300 for letting her son go home.”

According to him, lawyers failed to produce either direct eyewitnesses or evidence to support the officers’ guilt on the extortion charge and this charge brought against them was dropped.

“However, the recruitment officers were found guilty of the charge of abuse of office,” said the source, “Major Sobitov was sentenced to 1.5 years of service restriction with 20 percent of his wages garnished and Captain Mirshamsov was sentenced to one year of service restriction with 15 percent of his wages garnished.”