Deputy mayor and cadastre official caught with $100,000 bribe in Andijan

A corruption case involving officials has been uncovered in the Pakhtaabad district of the Andijan region. A deputy district mayor and an official from the district branch of the State Cadastre Chamber were caught red-handed during a sting operation while demanding a large sum of money from an entrepreneur.

Promise of land and a $100,000 demand

It is reported that the officials promised to assist an entrepreneur in purchasing 50 sotix of land from the district administration's reserve through an online auction at a low price, and to register the land in the entrepreneur's name. In exchange for this service, they demanded a total of $100,000 USD.

During a sting operation conducted by the State Security Service (SSS) in cooperation with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office, the individuals were apprehended while receiving $30,000 USD of the requested amount through a third party.

"As a result of the sting operation, the illegal activities of the officials were halted, and physical evidence was confiscated."

Legal measures and investigative actions

In connection with this incident, a criminal case has been initiated against the suspects under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan:

• Article 168, Part 4, Clauses "a" and "g" (Fraud committed on an especially large scale and by prior conspiracy);

• Article 28, 211, Part 3, Clause "a" (Complicity in bribery on an especially large scale and crimes related to receiving bribes).

Currently, all necessary investigative actions regarding this criminal case are being consistently continued.

In your opinion, to what extent will further digitalization and transparency of auction processes and the land allocation system help prevent such corruption cases? Leave your thoughts in the comments!