The Uzbek Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement that the deputy mayor of Fergana province Kuva district in charge of construction Khabibulla Rustamov and a specialist from the district cadastral department Shokir Kirgizbaev were arrested on October 11.

The Fergana branch of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Fergana Province State Security Service conducted the joint operation on the basis of a letter by the citizen U., the DG of the company G. S.

Deputy district mayor and the employee of the cadastral department were reportedly arrested with evidence while receiving US$ 1,000 from the negotiated US$ 1,500 as a bribe from the businessman in return for providing construction order, the statement said.

As the Prosecutor General’s Office clarified, Khabibulla Rustamov was now facing Fraud Using of Official Position charge, while Shokir Kirgizbaev is accused of Giving Bribe.

However, according to the deputy mayor words: “On October 11, at about 8:00 AM, six people rushed into my office, among whom were officers of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes and the State Security Service, and started searching the office, and they found $ 1000 - 10 bills at $ 100 under a pile of papers on my desk and accused me of taking bribe, but I don’t know how that money got there. They said that I promised someone to issue a building permit. The money was marked with a special compound that glows under ultraviolet light, but could not find the marks on my hands.”.

He added that among those were present two witnesses who, as he was informed, came from the village of Lagan in the Fergana district, which is located 60 km from Kuva.

After the search, he said he was taken to Fergana city, where he stayed in the department building until midnight.

The deputy mayor, who was appointed to this position on March 7, confirmed that on October 10 he met with Shokir Kirgizbaev and businessman U., who requested some construction work bypassing tender. “Yes, he askeed to get construction work. I told him to file an application for participation in the tender, ”he said.

Currently investigation is underway.