One of the deputy mayors of the city of Chirchik was detained while receiving a large bribe, according to the State Security Service.
Agency staff conducted an operation in collaboration with the Prosecutor General's Office Department for the Fight Against Economic Crimes. The arrest occurred at the moment when the official's driver handed him $1 million in cash.
According to the investigation, the deputy mayor extorted a bribe for assistance in processing lease rights for a 20-hectare plot of land for the construction of a shopping complex worth $40 million. The demanded amount was $2 million.
A criminal case has been initiated against the official under paragraph "a" of part 3 of article 210 of the Criminal Code (receiving a bribe in a particularly large amount). Investigative actions are currently ongoing.
According to the Transparency International organization’s ranking, Uzbekistan ranked 121st out of 180 countries in the 2023 Corruption Perception Index. Over the past 10 years, the country improved its score by 15 points, becoming a leader in growth rate.
Previously, Spot reported that the Anti-Corruption Agency uncovered embezzlement of over 900 million sums in the procurement of computers for schools.