Uzbekistan's Anti-Corruption Agency has deemed public concerns about the practice of rewarding law enforcement officers for refusing bribes as justified, according to a report by Gazeta. The agency stated that it plans to legally restrict this practice.

In a recent case, a traffic police officer in the Navoi region received a cash bonus of 12.3 million soums (about $1,000). He had refused a $1,000 bribe offered by the father of a driver who was driving under the influence and reported the incident to his superiors.

The anti-corruption agency said that from a legal standpoint, financially rewarding employees for such actions is wrong. “Compliance with the law and not taking bribes is not heroism, but a direct duty of every civil servant,” the agency stated, adding that upholding the rule of law and fighting corruption are part of their direct functional responsibilities.

Control over these processes is centralized through a special electronic platform. According to the agency's commentary, this helps prevent unjustified spending of budget funds.

The agency has prepared a draft government resolution introducing additional restrictions aimed at preventing abuses and inconsistent law enforcement in this area. In particular, it proposes amending paragraph 6 of the regulation on the procedure for rewarding individuals who report corruption offenses or otherwise assist in the fight against corruption. The amendment would stipulate that law enforcement officers cannot receive rewards for performing their direct official duties.

Source: kun.uz