Officials Detained in Qashqadaryo Over US$1,000 Bribe

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Kashadarya region, law enforcement authorities have opened a criminal case against an assistant to the hokim of a local mahalla and a leading specialist from the city hokimiyat. The arrests were carried out by the State Security Service in coordination with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes as part of ongoing anti-corruption efforts.

According to investigators, the hokim assistant received US$1,000 from a 1983-born citizen in exchange for facilitating the privatization of a 35-sot land plot. The land had previously been leased from the state reserve in 2019. The official used his position to expedite the transaction.

Further investigation revealed that the money was intended to be passed on to the city hokimiyat specialist. Law enforcement officers conducted a sting operation, and the specialist was caught in the act while receiving the funds.

A criminal case has been initiated against both officials, and investigative actions are ongoing.