Samarkand education official dismissed over nepotism

The head of the Samarkand Regional Department of Preschool and School Education has been dismissed after sending relatives to the “Scarlet Sails” graduation celebration held in the Russian Federation. The information was confirmed to QALAMPIR.UZ by the press service of the Anti-Corruption Agency.

According to the report, a working group conducted an internal investigation following a submission to the Ministry of Preschool and School Education regarding the inclusion of close relatives of department officials in the delegation that attended the event in Russia.

The investigation found that the head of the regional department, Muzaffar Hamdamov, along with other officials, committed actions that violated the laws “On Civil Service,” “On Conflict of Interest,” and the Model Code of Ethics for Civil Servants approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 595. The probe also identified a number of serious mistakes and shortcomings.

Based on these findings, Muzaffar Hamdamov was dismissed from his position in order to eliminate the violations and prevent similar incidents in the future.

In addition, the ministry was advised to impose disciplinary measures against the deputy head of the department, a leading specialist in the Accounting and Public Procurement Department, the chief methodologist of the Department for Organizing the Assessment of Teachers’ Knowledge and Skills, the head of the Department for Assessing and Analyzing Students’ Knowledge, and a methodologist from the same department.

The agency also reported that the issues outlined in its submission were reviewed by the ministry’s Ethics Commission, which has adopted measures to prevent similar misconduct involving civil servants in the future.

“The Anti-Corruption Agency continuously monitors conflict-of-interest situations in the civil service and ensures that firm and uncompromising measures are taken against any violations in strict compliance with the rule of law,” the statement said.

For reference, Muzaffar Hamdamov served as governor of Pakhtachi district from 2019 to 2025.

Earlier, it was reported that Hamdamov had included his son and nephew in the official delegation sent to Russia. He later returned 28 million soums to the state budget after attempting to send his relatives abroad instead of talented youth.