Four government officials in Samarkand arrested on bribery charges

One notable arrest involved the head of the mobilization call-up reserve division within Samarkand City’s Defense Department. The official was reportedly caught taking $600 in exchange for a falsified military certificate for a citizen’s son working abroad, which falsely indicated completion of reserve military service.

Another incident in the Kattakurgan district involved a tax inspector, 43-year-old M.R., who allegedly demanded 6 million UZS from a local resident in exchange for removing an 11.5 million UZS tax debt from the system and creating fraudulent documentation confirming the debt’s repayment. The inspector was detained while receiving the bribe.

A National Guard officer from the Pakhtachi district, identified as 26-year-old officer Sh.A., was also detained. He was accused of soliciting 8 million UZS and $600 to facilitate access for a local resident to extract rocks containing gold from a protected mine, accepting the remaining $600 payment at the time of his arrest.

In a separate case, an engineer from the Narpay district branch of the Cadastre Chamber, 26-year-old S.Sh., was apprehended for accepting a $700 bribe to prepare cadastral documents for a residential property registered under a local resident's relative. The engineer was caught red-handed during the transaction.

All four officials face criminal charges under relevant articles of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, with investigations underway to gather further evidence.