Corruption in the Population Registration Department: up to $10,000 demanded for processing documents

As part of a series of investigative and operational measures, the State Committee for National Security uncovered a corruption scheme organised by employees of the Population Registration Department in collusion with civilians providing intermediary services.

The criminal case established that the former director of the Population Registration Department, A.T.Zh., the chief specialist of the Pervomaisky District Public Service Centre in Bishkek, P.A.T., the leading specialist of the Oktyabrsky Public Service Centre in Bishkek, A.M.M., an employee of the Kyrgyz Post T.A.Sh., and intermediary M.A.K. organised a system for illegally obtaining money from citizens, including foreigners, who applied to the Public Service Centre for public services.

According to the established scheme, intermediaries found clients, offered them assistance in expediting the processing of documents, and guaranteed that they would receive the results of the services in the shortest possible time without waiting in line, for which they demanded monetary compensation ranging from $100 to $10,000, depending on the nature of the services provided, which was subsequently distributed among the participants in the illegal scheme.

All participants in the illegal scheme were detained and placed in the temporary detention facility of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic.