DUSHANBE, July 31, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Ex-Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobokhonov did not have the right to appoint his son prosecutor of Hisor district, Fattoh Saidov, the head of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 31.

“Under the law on combating corruption, no one public officer holding leading position has the right to assign his children or relatives,” said the anticorruption chief.  “As far as the ex-Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobokhonov is concerned, the country’s legislation provides for imposing a disciplinary action on him for such an infringement.”

“I do not understand why media attribute these events to a feud the incumbent Prosecutor-General Sherkhon Salimzoda allegedly had with Bobokhonov in his previous capacity as chief of the anticorruption agency and he is currently allegedly cleansing the prosecutor’s office of those who were close associates of the former prosecutor-general,” said Saidov, “It is wrong impression.  It is an order by the president – any person whoever he is and whatever position he holds must be answerable in accordance with law if he commits any crime.”         

 We will recall that Fayzullo Bobokhonov, the son of former Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobokhonov, has been arrested on corruption charges.  Fayzullo Bobokhonov is charged with being an accomplice in a bribe-taking incident involving $20,000 while serving as chief prosecutor of Hisor district.  Fayzullo Bobokhonov was dismissed from that position earlier this year, shortly after his father retired as prosecutor-general after serving for 10 years.