Construction official and architect detained in Surkhandarya

north_east

Fighting corruption: Strategies and penalties across nations

A construction and housing official, along with an architect, have been detained in Surkhandarya region for soliciting a bribe. The State Security Service reported the incident.

According to the report, an architect from a limited liability company specializing in construction design gained the trust of a resident of Muzrabad district and fraudulently demanded 17 million soums. The money was requested in exchange for ensuring that the design documents of the citizen’s unfinished non-residential building would be approved by the relevant authorities without any issues.

During a joint operation conducted by the State Security Service and the internal affairs bodies, the architect was detained with material evidence while receiving the requested amount.

The operation was then expanded, and it was revealed that the architect intended to give 1 million soums out of the 17 million to the head of the Muzrabad District Construction and Housing and Communal Services Department. The official was detained while receiving the money.

A criminal case has been initiated against both individuals, and an investigation is underway.

It is worth noting that on 5 March this year, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during an expanded meeting dedicated to the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures and future priorities, described corruption as the biggest obstacle to ongoing reforms. Furthermore, according to the Presidential Decree adopted on 21 April, “On Measures to Ensure the Independence and Improve the Efficiency of Internal Anti-Corruption Control Units of State Bodies and Organizations,” a legal experiment was introduced to enhance the effectiveness of internal anti-corruption control systems in three ministries, including the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services.