“Corrupt people caused 3.2 trillion soums in damage since the leadership in the country has changed” – Prosecutor General’s Office

“About 90% of that has been recovered,” Bakhriddin Valiyev said. It was announced that penalties for corruption crimes would be strengthened.

Deputy Prosecutor General Bakhriddin Valiyev commented on the anti-corruption presidential decree.

“Over the past 4.5 years, let’s take the new era of Uzbekistan, 9,546 people have committed various types of corruption. The damage caused to the state and the interests of citizens as a result of these crimes is about 3 trillion 200 billion soums.

About 90% of these were recovered by law enforcement during investigations and trials. However, there is no talk about how much society and citizens will suffer following this. Taking these facts into account, it leads to enormous losses and consequences.

Therefore, the decree obliges us to study the international experience and the views of citizens, and to adopt a law to strengthen the penalties for this.

In a public opinion poll conducted by the Center “Ijtimoiy Fikr” (“Public Opinion”) in April this year, 62% of respondents said that the best way to combat corruption is to increase criminal liability. The public opinion was taken into account and included in the decree,” the deputy prosecutor general said at a press conference on July 9.

According to Bakhriddin Valiyev, the decree sets the task to develop and submit to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis a draft law within three months, together with the relevant departments of the Prosecutor General’s Office:

•  sharply strengthening penalties for corruption-related crimes to long-term imprisonment;
•  establishment of liability for the acquisition of illicit wealth identified in the process of declaring income and property;
•  establishment of restrictions on the application of mitigating norms in the sentencing of persons who have committed corruption-related crimes.

The new version of the draft Criminal Code also strengthens the penalties for corruption-related crimes. In particular:

a) not only material interest, but also intangible interest is included as a subject of bribery;
b) according to the recommendations of international experts, direct criminal liability is being established for 3 types of actions, including:

•  attraction of an NGO employee by bribing;
•  attracting an employee of a state body, organization with state participation or citizens’ self-government body by bribing;
•  unlawful acquisition of material values by an employee of a state body, state-owned organization or citizens’ self-government body or having a property interest.