The Transportation Prosecutor’s Office has completed investigation into the suicide case of security guard of Dushanbe International Airport (DIA) Sherafgan Khojaqulov and the case has moved to a court.

Asliddin Melikov, the Deputy Director-General of Dushanbe International Airport, remarked this at a meeting with reporters in Dushanbe on February 15.  

According to him, Sherafgan Khojaqulov and his two accomplices are charged with fraud.  

“They received 109,000 somonis from several citizens for purchase of air tickets for flights from Dushanbe to the Russian Federation but they deceived the citizens,” said Melikov.  “One of accomplices – Jamshed Solomov – has been detained while the second one is on the run.”

He also noted that reports that Khojaqulov had committed suicide due to delays in the payment of salary did not correspond to the facts. 

According to Melikov, the salary was paid to Khojaqulov.  “In total, he was paid 4,000 somonis during the pandemic.  All documents are at the disposal of the Transportation Prosecutor's Office,” DIA officials noted.  

Recall, Sherafgan Khojaqulov committed suicide in his workplace on October 26, 2020.  

Sherafgan’s uncle, Jamshed Davlatov, says he saw his nephew for the last time on October 23.  “He was upset that salaries were delayed and he was kicked out of a rented apartment.  He had not received salary for nine months” Davlatov told Asia-Plus in an interview on October 26.    

“Before committing suicide he sent me SMS “take my body from airport,” Jamshed Davlatov told Radio Ozodi in an interview

Sherafgan’s brother, Umed Khojaqulov, told Asia-Plus on October 28 that Sherafgan owed 14,000 somonis for housing rental and was upset in recent days.  

Tajikistan closed all its airports at midnight on March 19-20 due to the coronavirus concerns.  Only charters flights to repatriate Tajik nationals stranded in foreign countries due to the coronavirus crisis have been operated.      

In late March last year, many employees of Dushanbe International Airport have reportedly been put on unpaid leave. The majority of employees of airports in Dushanbe, Khujand, Kulob, Bokhtar and Khorog as well as Tajik Air Navigation Company have been sent on unpaid vacation amid coronavirus concerns.