A deputy hokim of the Tashkent district in the Tashkent region has been detained by law enforcement on suspicion of extorting 25,000 US dollars from a local entrepreneur in exchange for securing a land plot. The State Security Service released official details regarding the sting operation that led to the high-ranking official's capture.

According to investigators, the official allegedly promised to assist the businessman in acquiring a 1-hectare plot from the district administration's reserve balance. The land was reportedly intended for establishing an industrial complex focusing on construction technologies and composite doors, with the suspect claiming he could manipulate the state asset management auction system through personal acquaintances to guarantee a win.

Operatives from the State Security Service's regional department intercepted the suspect red-handed while he was accepting the demanded bribe money. A criminal case has been officially launched against the official under severe fraud and bribery provisions of the Criminal Code, and comprehensive investigative procedures are currently underway.

Source: www.gazeta.uz