Corruption Probe Leads to Mass Dismissals in Uzbekistan
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has dismissed senior officials after uncovering alleged corruption involving the sale of a state-owned land plot at far below its value.
The head of the State Assets Management Agency (UzSAMA), Akmalxon Ortikov, was dismissed on January 26. The move followed the discovery that agency officials placed a state-owned land plot, valued at 250 bn soums ($20.6 mln), in a closed auction but sold it for only 120 bn soums ($9.9 mln).
Authorities also found evidence of theft worth billions of soums at Uzbekneftegaz. Mirziyoyev ordered the State Security Service to investigate both the agency and the energy company, with compliance officers also involved in the probe.
«Thoroughly review every case of state asset sales, expose all corruption schemes, and ensure punishment is inevitable,» Mirziyoyev said.
Overhaul reaches tax administration
The president also announced the dismissal of Yunusjon Nasimdjanov, head of the Tashkent city tax administration. At the same time, the head of the Shaykhantakhur district tax inspection, Khojiakbar Mulladzhonov, was removed from his post. Their activities will be reviewed in detail and legal actions will follow.
Mirziyoyev ordered the chairman of the Tax Committee, Farrukh Pulatov, to dismiss all heads of district tax inspections in Tashkent and appoint acting officials temporarily. The goal is a complete overhaul of the system to eliminate opportunities for corruption.
He also ordered the dismissal of A. Ganiev, deputy head of the city department under the Prosecutor General’s Office, for aiding so-called «entrepreneurs» in evading taxes.
Responsibility for enforcing strict policies against the shadow economy in Tashkent was assigned to A. Soliev and the newly appointed deputy mayor for compliance, M. Mirhamidov.
Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency found that 386 decisions issued by regional and district administrations had been unjustifiably classified.
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