Uzbekistan: 97 criminal cases started against corrupt officials
The investigation of 97 criminal cases initiated due to the misuse of funds for the fight against COVID-19 and abuse in the formation and delivery of humanitarian aid.
The press secretary of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Khayot Shamsutdinov, announced the initiation of ten criminal cases for the misuse of funds allocated to combat the spread of coronavirus infection, treatment, medicines and medical equipment. During the briefing, he noted that “87 more criminal cases have been started for abuse in the preparation and delivery of food products.”
By building cases against corrupt officials, the authorities are trying to fight against theft, which has become especially widespread during the pandemic. In the regions, the divisions of the Agency for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare were distinguished by this. The latest “achievement” was recorded in the Kashkadarya region, where employees of the SEW Center are accused of embezzling 917.8 million soums ($ 90,000).
Of this amount, 480 million soums were calculated as salaries for non-working employees. Another 271.6 million soums were paid in the form of a bonus to trusted employees.
Only now it became known that on July 3, a criminal case was initiated against the head of the regional CSEW, the head of the department, and others under paragraph a of part 3 of article 167 of the Criminal Code (embezzlement or grand larceny).
As ACCA previously posted, the previous record was set by employees of the Navoi regional center of the SEW, having stolen $ 42.5 thousand from the Anti-Crisis Fund. For this amount, were appropriated various material values.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the Anti-Crisis Fund is being replenished mainly with concessional loans from international financial organizations. As of June, the fund allocated $ 65 million to the SEW Agency.
The scale of theft forced the president to liquidate the Agency, which did not last even a year. Now, these funds will be used by a new department. On July 25, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree “On measures to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic, radically improve the system of sanitary and epidemiological welfare and public health.” The document provides for the creation of the Service for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health by merging the former agency and the State Inspectorate for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision under the Cabinet of Ministers of the country.
