Turkmenistan passed a law on the non-application of acts of pardon and amnesty for convicts of corruption. The relevant law was signed by the President Berdimuhamedov.
The amendments to the Criminal Code say that in relation to convicts of corruption, illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances, acts of pardon and amnesty are not applied.
The terms of imprisonment for these crimes range from eight to twenty years with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.
ACCA sources state that the law was signed on November 30, but was published on December 13, 10 days after Attorney General B. Atdaev said at the meeting of the State Security Council that former Interior Minister Mulikov and former head of Presidential Security Service Nobatov were found guilty of receiving especially large bribes and sentenced to imprisonment.
According to available information, changes in legislation are directly related to the arrest of ex-officials Mulikov and Nobatov. Despite the fact that the trial of ex-officials took place on November 29, two weeks before the adoption of the amendments, this rule will be applied to them.
Independent experts argue that this situation directly indicates the presence of rivalry between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Homeland Security of Turkmenistan.
In June 2018, several businessmen, bankers and employees of the National Security Service, controlling the banking sector, were arrested for illegal currency trading. The arrests of the MHS officers coincided with the dismissal of the then Minister Dovrangeldy Bayramov and his three deputies Ovez Khydyrov, Dovlet Baimyradov and Maksat Garaev. On the same day, at the meeting of Security Council, Mulikov was promoted. The investigation of the MHS was conducted with the use of torture in order to force them to admit all the charges against them.
The investigation was conducted under the direct supervision of Mulikov, as a result of torture, one of those arrested died. He was an employee of the Ministry of Homeland Security. The rest of the detainees received long prison terms.
At the moment, their cases are being reviewed. According to radio Azatlyk, the clean-up in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ system is the result of a tough fight between Mulikov and Minister of Homeland Security Yaylym Berdyev.
Official media reported that the fight against corruption is a priority for the government and the President of Turkmenistan. At the same time, Turkmenistan remains the most corrupt country in the world, and in international reports it occupies a leading position in terms of corruption being in 161st place.
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