President Emomali Rahmon has ordered to complete probe into operations of former Dushanbe Mayor Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev’s office until July 1.

Speaking at a meeting with senior representatives of the Dushanbe administration, President Rahmon on February 15 ordered the anticorruption agency to complete investigation into the use of budgetary funds of the country and Dushanbe allocated for construction of residential buildings until July 1.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service says the president stressed that detailed report should be submitted for consideration to the government.

Rahmon also ordered the Dushanbe administration to give the process of implementation of construction works and targeted use of budgetary funds under its strict control.  

Recall, investigation into operations of former Dushanbe Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev’s office began two weeks after he was replaced by Rustam Emomali.  

The deputy chief of the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, Iliyos Idriszoda, said on January 27 that a preliminary investigation had been launched into possible embezzlement of state funds by staff members during Ubaidulloyev's long tenure as mayor of the capital.

Idriszoda told journalists that the investigation was launched after the agency received complaints from several Dushanbe residents who suspected that state funds allocated for the construction of apartment blocks were misused.

He said that the new mayor, Rustam Emomali, had also asked the agency to look into the situation.

The deputy chief of the anticorruption agency, Abdukarim Zarifzoda, noted that the mayor of Dushanbe had filed a request with the anticorruption agency for the review of the mayor’s office activities.  According to him, a request was addressed to the mayor’s office itself on two occasions by citizens concerning the implementation of the Affordable Housing project.

President Emomali Rahmon appointed his 29-year-old son Rustam Emomali as mayor of Dushanbe on January 12, 2017.  Rustam Emomali replaced Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, who was mayor for 19 years.

Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, 64, has given up his seat in Dushanbe’s legislature (Majlis).  However, he still remains chairman of the parliament's upper chamber (Majlisi Milli) and is considered Tajikistan's No. 2 leader after the president.