The chief of the Andijan Employment and Poverty Reduction Department was fired after photos surfaced on social media showing him using a psychoactive substance, allegedly in his office. The head of the press service of the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment, Gulnoza Alimova, confirmed that the people in the photo are indeed employees of the system.
“Employment contracts with the department chief, D. U., and his deputy, S. B., have been terminated, with investigation underway,” the statement said.
The photo shows one man inhaling smoke rising from a can using a cut-off plastic bottle. There is another person next to him, whose face is not visible.
The spokesman to the Interior Ministry, Shokhrukh Giyosov said that 0.69 grams of hashish were seized from the man during the operational search, which was confirmed by a forensic chemical examination.
Based on this fact, the Andijan city police department opened a criminal case under Illegal manufacture, storage, acquisition, transportation or transfer of narcotic drugs, their analogues or psychoactive substances without the intent to sell charge. The article provides for a fine of up to 50 BCUs, mandatory community service up to 360 hours, correctional labor up to 3 years, house arrest of freedom from 1 to 3 years or imprisonment for up to 3 years.
