KHUJAND, October 1, 2009, 2009, Asia-Plus -- Major Abbosiddin Mahmoudov, an officer with one of border units deployed in the Sughd province, has been sentenced to three years in prison for abuse of office.

The Khujand military court on September 29 ruled that Major Mahmoudov be given a jail term of three years and that he will serve it in a high-security penal colony.  The sentence followed his conviction on the charge of office abuse (Article 391 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code).

The source at the Khujand military court told Asia-Plus that Mahmoudov was arrested on March 28 this year and charges of preparation of crime and attempt to commit crime (Article 32), bribery (Article 319) and abuse of office (Article 39i) were officially brought against him.

“In 2003-2005, Major Mahmoudov was in charge of taking recruits from assembly points for sending them to training centers and military units,” said the source, “Mahmoudov was charged with letting recruits, who were already put on lists of military units, go home for certain money.  However, prosecutor failed to produce evidence to support Mahmoudov’s guilt on the bribery and preparation of crime charges and these charges were dropped.”

Mahmoudov is also barred from holding top-level military positions during three years.