In the Jizzakh Region, a senior operational officer of the Paxtakor district department of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes has been detained on suspicion of attempting fraud in an agreement for the purchase of interactive whiteboards. According to the State Security Service (SSS), the officer allegedly conspired with a school principal and a previously convicted acquaintance to demand 85 million soums from a businessman.
It is reported that the department officer, together with his 37-year-old acquaintance who had prior convictions for personal gain, gained the trust of the manager of an LLC specializing in technical supplies. They purportedly promised to secure the company's victory in a tender for the purchase of 20 interactive whiteboards between the Jizzakh city department of preschool and school education and an electronic store. Additionally, they claimed to offer the possibility of selling the boards at an inflated price, demanding 85 million soums in return from the entrepreneur.
Investigations reveal that the department officer, exploiting his official position, planned to process the interactive whiteboards, with an actual cost of 15.2 million soums, at a price of 25 million soums. This incident highlights ongoing issues of corruption and abuse of power within state institutions, raising concerns about governance and transparency in public procurement processes.
During an operational measure conducted by SSS officers in cooperation with prosecutor's office authorities, the 37-year-old citizen was initially apprehended while receiving the 85 million soums. Later, as the operation continued, 30 million soums of these funds were seized with material evidence when the department officer received them together with the school principal in front of his residence.
The Jizzakh Regional Prosecutor's Office has initiated a criminal case under Article 168 of the Criminal Code (fraud) regarding this matter. Pre-trial detention measures have been applied to the senior operational officer of the Paxtakor district department of the DCEB and the school principal. Investigative actions are currently underway, underscoring the authorities' purported commitment to combating corruption, though such cases often point to systemic challenges in the region.
Source: www.gazeta.uz