TURKMENISTAN: TRAFFIC POLICE PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000292 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: TRAFFIC POLICE PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR THEIR VEHICLES ¶1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet distribution ¶2. (SBU) In 2008, the Turkmen government purchased 200 Mercedes-Benz vehicles for use as patrol cars, each costing EUR 70,000. The cars were equipped with law enforcement-related equipment by the State Road Patrol Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The vehicles are being distributed to operate in and around Ashgabat. ¶3. (SBU) According to an Embassy contact, if a Turkmen traffic police officer is assigned one of the new government-purchased Mercedes patrol cars, the officer is on the hook to pay for repairs if the car is damaged. Officers also must sign an acknowledgement stating that, in case something happens to the car, for example, a road accident, the officer agrees to be dismissed from his job. ¶4. (SBU) In addition, the current Minister of Internal Affairs, Orazgeldi Amanmyradov, issued an unofficial rule according to which a traffic policeman can be dismissed from his job for allowing an unauthorized person inside an official vehicle. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: Taking into account that, once dismissed from a state law enforcement job, a former officer cannot be employed by other state/government enterprises or agencies, traffic police now face a new challenge in keeping their jobs while working in a comfortable new car. END COMMENT. MILES