DUSHANBE, January 22, Asia-Plus  -- Sherkhon Salimzoda, Director of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, told a news conference in Dushanbe on Monday that the Agency last year instituted criminal proceedings against 127 officials of public management bodies, officers from the law enforcement and power-wielding structures as well as representatives from judicial authorities on charges of abuse of office, bribery and embezzlement of state funds.

According to him, some of the cases have already moved to courts.   

Corrupt officers have also been revealed within the anticorruption agency itself.  “Last year, criminal proceedings were instituted against two officers from the Agency,” said Salimov, “We also received information about five other our officers and I ordered an internal investigation, but allegations introduced against them were not proved.  Later, they voluntarily terminated their employment contracts.”  

            In all, the agency instituted 137 criminal proceedings last year, and 115 of them have already moved to courts.  

The anticorruption agency chief also noted that 700 inspections carried out by the Agency last year recorded numerous violations.    

According to him, the total damage caused by these violations to the country’s economy is 130.5 million somonis.