QURGHON TEPPA, April 15, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A regional court in Khatlon has sentenced ex-chief of the police department in Khatlon’s Rumi district, Rahmonali Sharipov, to a long jail term for corruption and abuse of office.

The Khatlon regional court on April 14 ruled that Rahmonali Sharipov be given a jail term of 19 years and that he should it in a high-security penal colony.  The sentenced followed his conviction on charges of abuse of office, fraud, corruption, illegal detention, and violation of security of residence with use of force.

Judge Alisho Qurbonov said that two other officers from the Rumi police department – chief investigator Jourakhon Fayzulloyev and the chief of the anti-drug squad Abdugapor Yamoqov – had been sentenced to 9 years and 5.5 years respectively.

Rahmonali Sharipov was detained by officers from the Khatlon anticorruption directorate in April 2008 red-handed when he was taking bribe of 1,500 US dollars, the judge said.