DUSHANBE, May 15, 2015, Asia-Plus -- A Dushanbe high school student who earned tens of thousands of dollars by impersonating president’s son has been released from criminal responsibility and returned to school.

An official source at the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption says the 16-year-old Khoushdil Qurbonov has reimbursed the damage and has been released from criminal responsibility.

“Since Khoushdil is underage and he has admitted his guilt completely and expressed remorse, he has been released from criminal responsibility,” the source noted.

We will recall that Khoushdil Qurbonov, the tenth grader from the Dushanbe International School, posing as President Emomali Rahmon’s 16-year-old son, Somon, earned tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in return for presidential favors.  He was accused of defrauding several people since 2014.

Tajik officials announced on May 5 that government officials were among the victims, some of whom paid tens of thousands of dollars to Qurbonov.

Last August, Khoushdil Qurbonov and his relative Jourakhon Kholov reportedly took US $ 50,000 from Mahmadrizo Rajabov in exchange for promising him 0.3 hectare of land in the Chimteppa Jamoat of the Roudaki District.

Qurbonov then called Sabzali Majidov, a local official in charge of the land, and said he was Somon Emomali, the president’s younger son, and instructed him to hand over the deed.  The official however did not believe Qurbonov and did not allot land to Mahmadrizo Rajabov.

Khoushdil Qurbonov was arrested by the anticorruption agency, which is headed by president’s eldest son, Rustam Emomali.

Some media outlets report that Khoushdil Qurbonov had earlier been classmate of Somon Emomali, who has studied in the United Kingdom since 10th grade.   

Khoushdil Qurbonov is the nephew of Anvar Qurbonov, the head of the Production Association Tajiktekstil (Tajik Textiles).