Uzbekistan: Officials were detained while taking bribes

In February, two officials were convicted of taking bribes. The deputy head of the District Administration of Chinaz district of Tashkent region was handcuffed upon receiving $40,000. He supervised economic development issues.

The official demanded a bribe from a citizen for the allocation of 500 hectares of land in the district. He also promised through his acquaintances to achieve the allocation of another 500 hectares from the reserve fund of Mubarek district and asked for $40,000 for this.

The deputy hokim of Mirishkor district of Kashkadarya region was caught red-handed when he received $50,000, so he was detained in a procedural manner. A criminal case was opened against the deputy hokim under two articles of the Criminal Code at once.

All arrests were carried out by employees of the State Security Service, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the territorial administration of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes. It’s these security services that most often detain bribe-takers.

Earlier, ACCA wrote that in comparison with 2020, the number of crimes in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has almost doubled and amounted to 119 episodes. Of the almost five thousand appeals received by the Anti-Corruption Agency in 2021, 7% reflected dissatisfaction with the actions and decisions of Ministry employees. Law enforcement officers were charged under articles related to abuse of office, forgery, fraud, giving and receiving bribes.

A state program was implemented in the country, within the framework of which new mechanisms for combating corruption were outlined. In July 2021, President Mirziyoyev signed a decree “On measures to create an environment for an uncompromising attitude towards corruption, to sharply reduce corruption factors in state and public administration and expand public participation in this direction”.

The wording in the title of the document formally shows the determination of the authorities to fight bribery and theft in the country, as well as formal public participation. The Ministry of Justice announced the launch of the analytical center “Uzbekistonda ochiklik va shaffoflik” (“Openness and transparency in Uzbekistan”, Transparency Uzbekistan), without specifying the initiators of its creation.

The current legislation allows punishing corrupt officials. In addition, Akmal Burkhanov, director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, announced that a draft law on strengthening criminal liability for corruption crimes has been submitted to the lower house of Parliament. However, Parliament is still considering the document.