DUSHANBE, November 26, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Farrukh Hakimov, a chief investigator with the Khatlon counternarcotics directorate, faces charges of abuse of office and illegal detention, according to the Khatlon prosecutor’s office.

The source said that Hakimov had instituted criminal proceedings against three persons that were suspected of having been involved in drug trafficking.

“Hakimov was holding them in a pretrial detention facility without arrest warrant,” said the source, “Moreover, he produced forged documents that investigation into the case had allegedly been completed.”

He added that on November 20, one of those three detained by Hakimov died in the pretrial detention facility of liver cirrhosis.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Hakimov under the provisions of five articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – Article 314, Part 3 (office abuse), Article 316, Part 3 (misuse of powers), Article 322, Part 2 (negligence), Article 323 (service forgery), and Article 358 (illegal detention).  Hakimov itself has given a written undertaking not leave the place.