2023 corruption report: 6,535 people brought to justice in Uzbekistan

In 2023, 6,535 individuals were prosecuted for corruption-related crimes across Uzbekistan, compared to 7,414 in 2022 — a decrease of 879 or 12%. This information was presented in the “National Report on Combating Corruption in the Republic of Uzbekistan,” published by the Anti-Corruption Agency.

According to the report, the number of criminal cases resulting in guilty verdicts for corruption-related offenses in 2023 was 4,128, a decrease of 479 cases (11%) from 2022, when 4,607 cases were reported. Of the 6,535 people prosecuted, 1,299 (20%) were sentenced to imprisonment, down from 1,482 in 2022.

The report revealed that corruption-related crimes caused 1.4 trillion soums in damage to state interests, a 29% decrease from 2022 when the damage amounted to 2.04 trillion soums. Of this amount, 745 billion soums (51%) were recovered, compared to 1.1 trillion soums (54%) in 2022. The highest levels of financial damage to state interests were recorded in Andijan (243 billion soums), Namangan (194 billion soums), Kashkadarya (143 billion soums), and Tashkent (132 billion soums) regions.

During 2022-2023, the confiscation of bribery-related funds amounting to 7.1 billion soums, 345,000 US dollars, and 34,500 Russian rubles was ensured for the benefit of the state. Of this, 3.7 billion soums, 87,300 US dollars, and 34,500 Russian rubles were seized in 2023 alone.

In 2023, corruption-related crimes were linked to 181 cases involving employment and 326 cases involving the allocation of bank loans. Of the prosecuted individuals, 12 worked in Republican-level state organizations, 319 worked at the regional level, and 5,024 worked at the district and city levels. Corruption-related crime rates increased in 4 regions but declined in 10. The regions that saw an increase in corruption crimes included Surkhandarya (9.9%), Andijan (6.4%), Syrdarya (2.8%), and Navoi (1.3%).

An analysis of criminal activity showed that previously convicted individuals admitted into public service had a higher likelihood of reoffending. In 2023, a total of 1,146 previously convicted persons committed corruption-related crimes, including 566 who had prior convictions for similar offenses.

The Prosecutor General's Office submitted 275 proposals to address legal violations identified in public procurement. Additionally, 393 criminal cases were opened, 25 illegal documents were brought into compliance with the law, and 1,219 individuals were subjected to administrative liability.

The State Security Service, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, carried out 1,290 arrests for bribery in 2023. The breakdown of the arrests is as follows:

• 517 arrests in the executive branch, macroeconomics, foreign economic and investment activities, banking, finance, industry, construction, housing, utilities, fuel, energy, and agriculture.
• 221 arrests in education, youth, sports, and self-governance sectors.
• 197 arrests in law enforcement, judicial, and control bodies.
• 160 arrests in healthcare and culture.
• 100 arrests in the transport sector.
• 95 arrests for customs law violations.

The Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office detected a total of 3,996 corruption-related offenses. Of these, 3,942 were criminal cases, while 54 were administrative cases. Bribery accounted for 1,382 of these crimes, with 395 cases involving direct bribery by officials of state bodies and organizations.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs Department for Combating Corruption and Economic Crimes and its regional divisions detected over 2,800 crimes related to corruption, economic offenses, and violations against public governance. These cases were categorized as follows:

• 467 crimes in the agro-industrial sector,
• 304 crimes in the fuel and energy sector,
• 289 crimes in the social sector,
• 148 crimes in small and medium businesses,
• 122 crimes in regulatory bodies,
• 80 crimes in government agencies,
• 58 crimes in the consumer market,
• 46 crimes in the banking, financial, and credit sectors,
• 22 crimes in the industrial sector,
• 13 crimes in foreign companies and joint ventures,
• 10 crimes in law enforcement bodies,
• 1 crime in the judicial sector, and
• approximately 1,300 crimes in other areas.

The primary offenses committed included bribery, extortion, fraud, violations of currency regulations, counterfeiting, and embezzlement.

The Anti-Corruption Agency also highlighted that corruption-related crimes involving assistants to governors and mayors are on the rise. In 2023, 69 criminal cases related to the activities of the governor and mayoral assistants were initiated. Of these cases, 28 were filed under Article 228 of the Criminal Code (preparation, forgery, sale, or use of documents, stamps, seals, or forms), 19 under Article 168 (fraud), 17 under Article 167 (embezzlement or misappropriation), and 5 under Article 210 (bribery).

Additionally, 277 supply enterprises, reportedly associated with the assistants of mayors and their close relatives, were found to have received preferential loans worth 202.5 billion soums through the "marketplace." As a result, 61 assistants to mayors were dismissed, 1 was fined, and 85 were issued formal reprimands.