The Supreme Court has reportedly put the ex-chief of the Interior Ministry Drug Enforcement Directorate (UBNON), Fayzullo Gadoyev, on a trial in absentia.

“The Supreme Court sentenced Fayzullo Gadoyev to twenty-eight years in prison after a trial in absentia,” Umarjon Emomali, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told Asia-Plus in an interview.   

According to him, Gadoyev was put on the wanted list last year.  “He is still wanted by police,” the Interior Ministry spokesman added.

In 2017, Tajikistan amended legislation to let courts try and sentence suspects in absentia.

Recall, the Interior Ministry press center reported on October 27 that the Supreme Court sentenced the ex-chief of the Interior Ministry Drug Enforcement Directorate, Fayzullo Gadoyev, to twenty-eight years in prison on October 15.    

The sentence reportedly followed his conviction on charges of large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, abuse of power entailing serious consequences, and bribe taking. 

The court also stripped Gadoyev of all previous state honors and awards, including revoking his rank of Lieutenant-General, according to the Interior Ministry website.     

Fayzullo Gadoyev had worked with the Interior Ministry Drug Enforcement Directorate since 1995.  In September 2002, he headed this Directorate and he was relieved of his post of the chief of Interior Ministry Drug Enforcement Directorate in November 2007 in connection with transfer to other job.

As it had been reported earlier, ex-deputy chief of the Interior Ministry Drug Enforcement Directorate, Jourakhon Nusratullozoda, was detained in early August this for a large-scale bribery.  According to the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, Nusratullozoda was caught red-handed while taking 19,800 U.S. dollars from a person for exempting him from criminal liability.  In accordance with a ruling handed down by a court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district on October 19, he was released after paying an 80,000 somoni (equivalent to 8,700 U.S. dollars) fine.