$1000 at Chinni Bazaar: another case exposed

A case involving the extortion of money from an entrepreneur has been exposed in the Zangiota district of the Tashkent region. According to the State Security Service, $1,000 was demanded from an entrepreneur following a tax audit in exchange for "resolving the problem" related to a fine.

The inspection was conducted at a shop in Chinni Bazaar

The State Security Service reported that a tax audit was carried out at the shop of an individual entrepreneur operating in the "Household Goods and Crafts Trade Complex," known among the public as Chinni Bazaar, in the Zangiota district.

During the audit, it was allegedly discovered that the entrepreneur had been receiving sales proceeds via mobile applications into a personal bank card but had failed to deposit these funds into their business account.

Taking advantage of this situation, a chief inspector of the Zangiota District Tax Inspection reportedly informed the entrepreneur that a 160 million soum fine would be imposed, but demanded $1,000 to make the issue go away.

The intermediary was caught while receiving the money

An operational event was carried out in cooperation with the State Security Service and the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office.

According to reports, the intermediary who received the money from the entrepreneur on behalf of the tax official was caught red-handed with evidence.

In this case, attention is focused on two aspects: on one side, the entrepreneur's failure to deposit proceeds into the business account, and on the other, the investigative findings regarding the extortion of money by exploiting this situation.

A similar case was recorded in Fergana

A similar case was reportedly exposed in the Buvayda district of the Fergana region.

During an operational event conducted by the State Security Service, the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, and internal affairs agencies, an engineer from the district Power Supply Enterprise was caught while receiving $1,000 from an entrepreneur.

According to investigation data, the engineer had promised to direct business entities in his territory to the entrepreneur, who specializes in installing solar panels, as potential clients.

$5,000 was reportedly demanded

It is reported that the engineer demanded a total of $5,000 from the entrepreneur in exchange for processing the necessary documents for solar panel installation, obtaining technical specifications, and assisting in finding clients.

It was noted that he was caught during the operational event while receiving $1,000.

A painful signal for entrepreneurs

In both cases, issues involving entrepreneurs are mentioned. In the first case, it involves a tax audit and a potential fine, and in the second, documents and technical specifications for solar panel installation.

In such situations, an entrepreneur must comply with legal requirements. However, the demand for money by officials or responsible persons in exchange for "resolving the problem" is illegal.

Simply put, if an entrepreneur makes a mistake, there is a legal procedure. But if someone tries to use that mistake as a "source of income," that is a different matter.

Criminal cases initiated

Currently, criminal cases have been initiated in both instances. Investigative actions are ongoing.

According to the law, a person is considered innocent until their guilt is proven by a court verdict. Therefore, a final legal assessment of these cases will be provided by the courts and investigative bodies.

The main question: who can the entrepreneur trust?

Taxes, power supply, technical specifications, permits, or documentation—each of these is an important issue for an entrepreneur in their daily work process. If illegal demands arise during these processes, trust in the business environment declines.

Therefore, exposing such cases should not be limited to catching one person. The main task is to create a system where an entrepreneur can complete their work through legal channels, without the need for unnecessary "intermediaries" and "deals."

In your opinion, which agency should entrepreneurs contact first when they encounter such situations?