DUSHANBE, October 1, 2010, Asia-Plus – The Agency for Stat Financial Control and Combating Corruption has instituted criminal proceedings against ex-first deputy chairman of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) Qosimjon Ghafarov.

According to Tajik law enforcement authorities, criminal proceedings have been instituted against Ghafarov under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Pena Code – Article 316 (misuse of powers) and Article 358 (illegal deprivation of liberty).

The source says criminal proceedings instituted against Ghafarov “are connected to criminal proceedings instituted against ex-deputy chief of the Main Border Guards Directorate within SCNS, Saymiddin Mirzoyev.

We will recall that Colonel Saymiddin Mirzoyev was caught by the anticorruption officers red-handed in mid-April when he was taking bribe (15,000 U.S. dollars) for hiding a drug-trafficking crime.  Criminal proceedings were instituted against Mirzoyev under the provisions of Article 319 (bribery) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code.

“The other fact in Ghafarov’s cases is connected to illegal detention of two persons during the operation, codenamed “Border Guard,” which was carried out in the summer of 2009,” the source said.  Investigation is under way.

Major-General Qosimjon Ghafarov was relieved of his post of first deputy chairman of SCNS on September 2.