KHUJAND, January 21, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- In a report released at a press conference in Khujand, director of the office of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption for Sughd province, Husein Oqilov, noted on January 19 that according to findings by the anticorruption agency’s office in Sughd, corruption cost the province at 22.5 million somoni last year, nearly 6 million somoni more than in 2011 (more than 16 million somoni).

“Inspections conducted by the anticorruption agency last year revealed 22.5 million somoni worth of damage,” he said, noting that some 76 percent (17.2 million somoni) of the damage has been reimbursed.

Over the report period, the Sughd anticorruption officers reportedly revealed 419 crimes related to embezzlement or misappropriation, fraud, service forgery, abuse of power, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, smuggling, etc.