Ministry of Preschool Education prevents reinstating head of a kindergarten suspected of stealing more than UZS 700 million

According to the Ministry of Preschool Education (MPE), in October 2018, a planned audit was conducted at the multi-purpose specialized preschool educational institution №9  for children with physical or mental disabilities in Sharof Rashidov district, Jizzakh region. As noted, the head of this kindergarten D. Yu., without waiting for the results of the audit, submitted an application for termination of the employment contract at her own request.

During the audit process, MPE auditors discovered theft and illegal expenses in the amount of 708 million soums, including:

- payment of wages in the amount of more than 592 million soums to 19 actually non-working employees;

- illegal write-off of cash in the amount of 17,4 million soums;

- shortage of foodstuff in the amount of more than 4 million soums;

- unreasonable write-off of meat and dairy products for 93,9 million soums.

In addition, pupils of the kindergarten №9 from January to September 2018 were not provided with milk, cottage cheese and kefir, in particular, meat was allocated in quantities below the established norms.

On November 15, 2018, the audit materials were transferred to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan. On December 26, 2018, the prosecutor's office of Jizzakh region, on the basis of the audit materials of the MPE, initiated a criminal case.

At the same time, on October 22, 2018, the Council of Trade Unions of Jizzakh region filed a lawsuit for the restoration of D. Yu. in the position of head of the nursery №9. On December 18, 2018, the Jizzakh inter-district court on civil cases satisfied the lawsuit and decided to pay the head of the nursery 3,3 million soums for forced absenteeism and 600 thousand soums for material damage.

“Attempts at reinstatement through the court, unfortunately, are a common practice. Being dismissed at their own or under an article, the heads declare in court that dismissal was carried out under pressure and try to return the former position. First, such statements are slander against the MPE. Secondly, we cannot allow people who fall back to the system of preschool education, who by theft, corruption, and other violations endanger the lives and health of children. The Ministry of Pre-School Education and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan have begun to work on the correct application of legislation regarding termination of employment contracts with unscrupulous employees,” head of the Legislative Department at the Ministry of Pre-School Education of Uzbekistan Umida Usmanova said.

On January 14, 2019, the Jizzakh regional department of preschool educational institutions filed a cassation appeal against annulment of a decision of the Jizzakh inter-district civil court of first instance. Thanks to judicial reform in the Republic of Uzbekistan, timely response from the Ministry and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, verification of court decisions in compliance with legislation, on January 22, 2019, the decision to reinstate the head of kindergarten No. 9 and pay 3,9 million soums was canceled.

MPE continues to identify and prevent corruption in the system of preschool education.