Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT595
2009-05-11 13:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: TWO CASES OF OFFICIAL CORRUPTION
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000595
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCRIM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: TWO CASES OF OFFICIAL CORRUPTION
ARE MADE PUBLIC - BUT REASONS ARE UNCLEAR
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000595
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCRIM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: TWO CASES OF OFFICIAL CORRUPTION
ARE MADE PUBLIC - BUT REASONS ARE UNCLEAR
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: At a May 8 Security Council meeting, the
Turkmen President chose to make public two official
corruption cases that were related to the compilation of the
traditional list of those to be freed from prison on major
national holidays. Considering the lack of public
information regarding such crimes, the reports provided an
amazing amount of detail about the two cases. The reports
were most likely a warning to others about interfering in
affairs of state regarding who gets on an amnesty list. The
President's comments, however, avoided addressing the more
serious issue of official corruption. The President has
never made any statements regarding the problem of
corruption, which has a more negative impact on the function
of this government than any other single issue. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) The evening of May 8, President Berdimuhammedov held
a National Security Council meeting, during which he asked
the head of the Supreme Court to provide surprising details
about two recent cases of corruption related to the
compilation of holiday amnesty lists, which had been
uncovered during an "inspection of law enforcement agencies."
Supreme Court Chairman Yazmuradov reported that a conspiracy
had been uncovered in which a handful of law enforcement
officials had been taking money from people to coordinate the
placement of family members' and friends' names on the
amnesty list. Yazmuradov identified the following
co-conspirators:
--MVD Lieutenant R. Gylychkhanov, an inspector in the office
for managing the fulfillment of criminal punishment;
--MVD Senior Lieutenant D. Egenov, a senior inspector of the
same office;
--A. Orazmyradov, an officer of the Ashgabat military
district;
--O. Gurbanov, an unemployed person;
--A. Khojayev, a fifth-year student at the police academy.
3. (U) Yazmuradov said they had been found guilty of taking
bribes, and of theft of personal property in especially large
amounts. They had been sentenced to prison terms of five to
fifteen years.
4. (U) A second official bribery case was then also
described. He said that two other fifth-year students from
the police academy, G. Gurbansahedov and M. Garayev conspired
with the head legal specialist at the Ashgabat tax office, B.
Meredov, and others to receive some $100,000 from the wife of
a prisoner named Kh. Amandzhayev. Participants of this
conspiracy, Yazmuradov reported, had also been punished. The
proceeds from both cases, he said, had been remanded to the
state. After hearing the details of these cases, President
Berdimuhammedov then said that the special commission was the
only body empowered to compile the list of persons to be
amnestied. He said that any attempts to undermine this
process would be stopped.
5. (U) At the end of the council meeting, President
Berdimuhammedov took the opportunity to express his
dissatisfaction with certain military and other law
enforcement agencies. He formally reprimanded Minister of
Internal Affairs (MVD),Orazgeldy Amanmuradov, for failing to
ensure public safety, law and order, and for failing to
adequately oversee the work of the MVD. He also formally
reprimanded the Chairman of the State Border Service, Murad
Islamov, for failing to adequately protect the state borders
and for failing to correct shortcomings in the Service.
6. (U) Although Amanmuradov was likely being reprimanded in
connection with the corruption scandals, there was no clear
information published regarding why Islamov was reprimanded.
A "Fergana.ru" website article published on May 3, however,
reported that on 20 April two Uzbek fishermen who were
fishing in a reservoir on the border southeast of Dashoguz
ASHGABAT 00000595 002 OF 002
had been shot by Turkmen border guards when they crossed the
border that cuts through the reservoir. One of the Uzbeks
died, and the other was seriously wounded. The article
suggested that both the Uzbek and Turkmen Governments sought
to keep the incident quiet, but an Uzbek human rights group
made the details public.
7. (C) COMMENT: This is the first time that Post can
recall the Turkmen President addressing a case of corruption,
or the details of official corruption cases being made
public. The President may have chosen to use the council
session to publicize the details of the two cases as a
warning to other government officials. In his comments, he
specifically criticized the conspirators' interference in a
process that was supposed to be strictly controlled by a
special amnesty commission, rather than taking the
opportunity to address the larger elephant in the room,
official corruption. This is just one step. Taking a stand
on official corruption would do even more to prevent future
conspiracies from forming. END COMMENT.
MILES
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCRIM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: TWO CASES OF OFFICIAL CORRUPTION
ARE MADE PUBLIC - BUT REASONS ARE UNCLEAR
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: At a May 8 Security Council meeting, the
Turkmen President chose to make public two official
corruption cases that were related to the compilation of the
traditional list of those to be freed from prison on major
national holidays. Considering the lack of public
information regarding such crimes, the reports provided an
amazing amount of detail about the two cases. The reports
were most likely a warning to others about interfering in
affairs of state regarding who gets on an amnesty list. The
President's comments, however, avoided addressing the more
serious issue of official corruption. The President has
never made any statements regarding the problem of
corruption, which has a more negative impact on the function
of this government than any other single issue. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) The evening of May 8, President Berdimuhammedov held
a National Security Council meeting, during which he asked
the head of the Supreme Court to provide surprising details
about two recent cases of corruption related to the
compilation of holiday amnesty lists, which had been
uncovered during an "inspection of law enforcement agencies."
Supreme Court Chairman Yazmuradov reported that a conspiracy
had been uncovered in which a handful of law enforcement
officials had been taking money from people to coordinate the
placement of family members' and friends' names on the
amnesty list. Yazmuradov identified the following
co-conspirators:
--MVD Lieutenant R. Gylychkhanov, an inspector in the office
for managing the fulfillment of criminal punishment;
--MVD Senior Lieutenant D. Egenov, a senior inspector of the
same office;
--A. Orazmyradov, an officer of the Ashgabat military
district;
--O. Gurbanov, an unemployed person;
--A. Khojayev, a fifth-year student at the police academy.
3. (U) Yazmuradov said they had been found guilty of taking
bribes, and of theft of personal property in especially large
amounts. They had been sentenced to prison terms of five to
fifteen years.
4. (U) A second official bribery case was then also
described. He said that two other fifth-year students from
the police academy, G. Gurbansahedov and M. Garayev conspired
with the head legal specialist at the Ashgabat tax office, B.
Meredov, and others to receive some $100,000 from the wife of
a prisoner named Kh. Amandzhayev. Participants of this
conspiracy, Yazmuradov reported, had also been punished. The
proceeds from both cases, he said, had been remanded to the
state. After hearing the details of these cases, President
Berdimuhammedov then said that the special commission was the
only body empowered to compile the list of persons to be
amnestied. He said that any attempts to undermine this
process would be stopped.
5. (U) At the end of the council meeting, President
Berdimuhammedov took the opportunity to express his
dissatisfaction with certain military and other law
enforcement agencies. He formally reprimanded Minister of
Internal Affairs (MVD),Orazgeldy Amanmuradov, for failing to
ensure public safety, law and order, and for failing to
adequately oversee the work of the MVD. He also formally
reprimanded the Chairman of the State Border Service, Murad
Islamov, for failing to adequately protect the state borders
and for failing to correct shortcomings in the Service.
6. (U) Although Amanmuradov was likely being reprimanded in
connection with the corruption scandals, there was no clear
information published regarding why Islamov was reprimanded.
A "Fergana.ru" website article published on May 3, however,
reported that on 20 April two Uzbek fishermen who were
fishing in a reservoir on the border southeast of Dashoguz
ASHGABAT 00000595 002 OF 002
had been shot by Turkmen border guards when they crossed the
border that cuts through the reservoir. One of the Uzbeks
died, and the other was seriously wounded. The article
suggested that both the Uzbek and Turkmen Governments sought
to keep the incident quiet, but an Uzbek human rights group
made the details public.
7. (C) COMMENT: This is the first time that Post can
recall the Turkmen President addressing a case of corruption,
or the details of official corruption cases being made
public. The President may have chosen to use the council
session to publicize the details of the two cases as a
warning to other government officials. In his comments, he
specifically criticized the conspirators' interference in a
process that was supposed to be strictly controlled by a
special amnesty commission, rather than taking the
opportunity to address the larger elephant in the room,
official corruption. This is just one step. Taking a stand
on official corruption would do even more to prevent future
conspiracies from forming. END COMMENT.
MILES