DUSHANBE, October 25, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Legislative immunity privilege impedes the detention of the ex-director of the Norak hydroelectric power station (HPS) Mahmadullo Qurbonov, who is suspected of having embezzled state funds in especially large sizes, Director of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption Sherkhon Salimzoda remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on October 24.  

According to him, as member of the Norak city legislature (Majlis) the ex-director of the Norak HPS possesses the right of violability and is not subject to detention.  “However, we intend to initiate the repeal of his inviolability through the Prosecutor-General’s Office that will appeal to the Norak legislature recommending to deprive Qurbonov from inviolability of a legislator,” Salimzoda said.  

Salimzoda noted that Mahmadullo Qurbonov and his deputy, Mahmadali Halimov, were suspected of having embezzled 1,282,700 somoni (equivalent to some 380,000 US dollars) of state funds.

According to the preliminary investigation, Qurbonov and Halimov, jointly with top managers of the limited liability company Nourafzo-2005 office embezzled 580,000 somoni of state funds in January 2006, forging documents for purchase of spare parts. 

Besides, the Norak HPS administration misappropriated 702,700 somoni while making a deal with the limited liability company Komron-Sh, the anticorruption agency chief said.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Qurbonov and Halimov under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – Article 245 (embezzlement or misappropriation) and Article 323 (service forgery). 

We will recall that by government’s resolution of September 13 Mahmadullo Qurbonov was relieved of his post of director of the Norak HPS.