Corruption behind educational equipment exposed

Individuals who attempted to supply interactive whiteboards to the Jizzakh City Department of Preschool and School Education at an inflated price have been detained, and a criminal case has been initiated against them. This was reported by the State Security Service.

According to the report, the individuals planned to deliver interactive whiteboards that actually cost 15.2 million UZS each at a price of 25 million UZS per unit.

A senior operative of the Paxtakor District Department of the Jizzakh Regional Directorate of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, seeking personal financial gain, conspired with his acquaintance born in 1989, who had previously been convicted. Together they gained the trust of the operations manager of a limited liability company engaged in the supply of technical equipment.

They promised to help the company win a contract through the electronic procurement system for the sale of 20 interactive whiteboards to the Jizzakh City Department of Preschool and School Education and to facilitate the sale of the equipment at an inflated price.

In return for their so-called “impartial services,” they demanded 85 million UZS from the company’s operations manager. It was established that the senior operative intended to use his official position to ensure that the interactive whiteboards, whose actual price was 15.2 million UZS, would be sold to the department at 25 million UZS each.

During an оперативе operation conducted by officers of the State Security Service in cooperation with the prosecutor’s office, the citizen born in 1989 was first detained while receiving 85 million UZS.

The operation then continued, and the department officer was detained together with another accomplice — a school principal — while receiving 30 million UZS in front of his residence. They were apprehended with material evidence.

Following the incident, the Jizzakh Regional Prosecutor’s Office initiated a criminal case against the suspects under Article 168 of the Criminal Code. A preventive measure in the form of detention was applied to the senior operative of the Paxtakor District Department for Combating Economic Crimes and the school principal. Investigative actions are currently ongoing.