QURGHON TEPPA, August 17, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Over the past two months, three officials in Khatlon province have been detained on corruption charges.

In July-August, the Khatlon prosecutor’s office has instituted criminal proceedings against deputy chairmen of Vakhsh and Bokhtar districts and the deputy Qurghon Teppa mayor, the deputy Khatlon prosecutor, Yusfjon Yusufzoda, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  “They are charged with illegal allotment of lands for housing and criminal proceedings have been instituted against them under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – Article 314 (abuse of powers) and Article 323 (service forgery),” the prosecutor said.

Since the beginning of this year, criminal proceedings have been instituted against 60 local officials, including one member of the Khatlon regional legislature and 12 members of local city and district legislatures, Yusufzoda added.