Citing the Tajik Prosecutor-General's Office, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, reported on June 26 that the Prosecutor-General’s office has launched an investigation into the suspected abduction of Shuhrat Ismatulloyev, the first deputy head of one of Tajikistan’s largest commercial bank, Orienbank.

The Interior Ministry reportedly announced a US$30,000 reward for information leading to finding the banker who went missing on June 23.

According to Radio Ozodi, the Interior Ministry says the 49-year-old Ismatulloyev was forced into a black Hyundai Sonata automobile by four unidentified individuals on the evening of June 23 when he left his house on the Zakariyoi Rozi Street in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district and taken to an unknown location.

The police have determined that the license plate of the car was fake.  

Radio Ozodi says Shuhrat Ismatulloyev is the brother of Dilshod Ismatullozoda, the former head of Tajik Air (Tajikistan’s national air carrier) and one of the people close to Hasan Asadullozoda, the head of Orienbank and the brother-in-law of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (his wife’s brother).  

He has reportedly been the first deputy head of Orienbank for years and according to the people in the know, it was Shuhrat Ismatulloyev who actually handled Orienbank’s affairs.   

Orienbank is one of the oldest banks in Tajikistan, and one of its largest financial institutions.  The bank is currently led by Hasan Asadullozoda.