Emomali Rahmon instructed to prevent fraud and land sales

The President of Tajikistan has instructed recently appointed officials in leadership positions within the prosecutor’s office to actively combat fraud and illegal land sales, as well as to learn at least two foreign languages within a year.

According to the press service of the President of Tajikistan, on February 14, President Emomali Rahmon “met for a discussion with the officials appointed to leadership positions in the prosecutor’s office.”

The press service reported that the new officials were appointed “to the positions of first deputy prosecutor of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, first deputy and deputy prosecutor of the Khatlon Region, deputy prosecutor of the Khatlon Region in the Kulob area, prosecutor of the Rushan district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, prosecutor of the Kubodiyon district of the Khatlon Region, prosecutors of the cities and district of Penjikent, Istiklol, and Jabbor Rasulov in the Sughd Region, prosecutor of the city of Rogun, prosecutor of the Nurabad district, as well as heads of several departments of the central office of the General Prosecutor’s Office.”

“During the discussion, Emomali Rahmon gave instructions to the appointed officials and all other employees in the prosecutor’s office regarding the oversight of compliance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Tajikistan, maintaining law and order, combating crime and its prevention, especially crimes related to terrorism, extremism, and illegal drug trafficking, fraud, and land sales, and also expressed interest in the language skills of the employees,” the statement noted.

Rahmon issued these instructions at a time when, earlier this year, on January 19, 2024, during a meeting of the Security Council of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon noted the “low professional level, incompetence in the performance of official duties, instances of corruption, involvement of some employees of law enforcement, supervisory bodies, and security forces in illegal drug trafficking, goods and products, hiring random and unprofessional individuals into the ranks of the agencies, selection and improper placement of personnel by the heads of the agencies.”

Unlike previous years, this year Emomali Rahmon has widely dismissed officials holding leadership positions in law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor’s office, and the national security committee, appointing others to these positions instead. Analysts believe that the dismissal of dozens of security officials from leadership positions by Emomali Rahmon is unprecedented.