The head of the culture department in Shahritous district of Khatlon province, Umed Ghafforov, has been detained for an attempt to illegally sell a parcel of land to local resident. 

According to the anticorruption agency’s website, Ghafforov was caught red-handed while taking U$5,000 and 8,000 somoni for assistance in allotting a parcel of land (0.12 ha) to local resident for steading.

Criminal proceedings have been institute against Umed Ghafforov under the provisions of Article 247 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – fraud; an investigation is under way.