KHUJAND, July 27, 2011, Asia-Plus -- An officer from the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption’s office for Sughd is suspected of having taken a bribe of US$3,500, Husein Oqilov, chief of the anticorruption agency’s office for Sughd, announced at a news conference in Khujand on July 26.

According to him, criminal proceedings have been instituted against the controversial anticorruption officer under the provisions of Article 319 (4) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – acceptance of bribe by official directly or through the mediation of a third party.

“Though the anticorruption officer did not accept the bribe directly, the mediator asserts that he received US$3,500 from resident of Asht district K.A. for the detained anticorruption officer for dropping criminal case instituted against him,” Oqilov said.

According to the statistical data from the anticorruption agency’s office in Sughd, 22 cases of acceptance of bribes by local officials have been reported in northern Tajikistan over the first six months of this year.