TURKMENISTAN: EDUCATIONAL CORRUPTION EXPENSIVE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000808 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINR SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: EDUCATIONAL CORRUPTION EXPENSIVE, AND PERVASIVE Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A well-connected local said that all students in Turkmenistan's institutions of higher learning are enrolled because their parents paid bribes of up to $70,000, with few exceptions. While some who accept bribes for university places work directly in the institution, some are simply well-placed and possibly function as front men for university officials. Children of government ministers have an especially hard time of it, with restrictions on their studying abroad and the unwillingness of some local schools to accept them for fear of attracting allegations of corruption. Turkmen education is very expensive, even if it is, at best, mediocre. Parents who are able find a way to send their children abroad for studies. An increase in the number of university places in Turkmen universities and institutes would help alleviate the situation. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Aina Kekilova of Asian Development Bank -- and alumna of the Commerce Department Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) program -- discussed corruption in Turkmenistan's education sector in a meeting on June 24. Kekilova explained that the following bribes for enrollment in selected Turkmen educational institutions are one-time only fees, not yearly. -- Gubkin Oil and Gas University: $70,000 -- Polytechnical University, Petroleum Faculty: $60,000 (last year) -- Institute for Sports and Tourism: $20,000 (two years ago, $3,000-6,000) -- Russian School (elementary and high school): $10,000 (two or three years ago, the bribe was $2,000-3,000) WHO ACCEPTS BRIBES ¶3. (C) In the case of the Institute for Sports and Tourism, an athlete with close ties to the Rector brokers the deals. (NOTE: Kekilova did not say if the athlete was the Rector's front man. END NOTE.) Kekilova said that the athelete was able to get a student into the Institute with the understanding that he would receive the money later. As it turned out, he wasn't sure how much the bribe would be and he continually quoted higher prices. Right before exams in July, he informed the parents that their bill was $20,000. WHEN THINGS DON'T GO WELL, PRISON IS A POSSIBILITY ¶4. (C) There are consequences if parents pay a bribe and the "broker" cannot manage to enroll the student. The cousin of Kekilova's husband worked as an accountant at Turkmen State University and accepted a bribe for either two or three children totalling $110,000. After she couldn't arrange enrollment, the parents asked her to return the money, but she said that she couldn't because she'd already spent it. The parents went to the authorities, who arrested and jailed her in early 2009. The court offered to reduce the sentence if she returned some of the money. She maintained that she couldn't, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. WHO HAS THE WORST PROBLEM: CHILDREN OF MINISTERS ¶5. (C) Kekilova said that two ministers -- Minister of Nature Protection, Magtymguly Akmyradov and Turkmen Gas State Concern Chairman, Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov -- arranged to enroll their kids in the Turkmen-Turkish University. Soon after the school year started, the school administration forced the students to sign letters stating that they withdraw from their studies. Kekilova explained that ministers and others in positions of power are under suspicion in the community for paying bribes, and this University forced the children to leave because the school doesn't want to be associated with corruption, even if only alleged. (NOTE: Kekilova said that she has known Akmyradov ASHGABAT 00000808 002 OF 002 and Hojamuhammedov personally for over 20 years because they studied together in the Petroleum Faculty of the Polytechnical Institute. END NOTE.) She said that Akmyradov and Hojamuhammedov are now looking into enrolling their children at the Gubkin Oil and Gas Institute, where most students have connections to the Cabinet of Ministers. OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES OFF-LIMITS TO CHILDREN OF TOP OFFICIALS ¶6. (C) Kekilova also said that the government does not allow the children of ministers to study overseas. A locally-engaged employee at Post said that he was aware of ministers' children studying overseas as recently as 2002. He said that restrictions may have been put in place in order to discourage ministers and their families from fleeing the country. He dismissed the idea that the restriction is aimed at curbing money laundering through bank accounts that their children can open overseas as students and through which they can funnel money. He said that ministers build up solid teams of trusted aides who take money overseas. Threfore, there is no need for the minister's children to ferry money abroad. OTHER WAYS OF ENROLLING IN UNIVERSITY ARE DIFFICULT, BUT EXIST ¶7. (C) Kekilova mentioned that some people, who are well-known, manage to enroll children in school without paying bribes, but this is very difficult. And only a few can enroll without influence or paying bribes. She further explained that schools practice geographic diversity by reserving an equal number of student places for each province. Getting accepted into a university is very competitive for students from Ashgabat since there are more applicants from Ashgabat than the provinces. Therefore, some families pay for fake registration documents in the regions in order to avoid competing with other students from Ashgabat. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: Locating a place for one's children to study in Turkmenistan is truly a serious problem. We have heard for the past two years tht parents pay bribes as high as $60,000 to place their children in popular programs such as law. It is amazing that so many are willing to pay so much for something that -- considering the quality of education in the country -- is not worth the price. Perhaps one reason is the scarcity of seats for young people in Turkmenistan's institutions of higher learning. Kekilova mentioned that only about 75 students attend the Gubkin program, while 250 attended the Petroleum Faculty in her day. Another reason is that the system is so entrenched. The best option for adventurous and willing parents -- who are not Cabinet ministers -- is to send children abroad for studies. Kekilova pointed that that "it's cheaper to send your kids abroad." One of her sons studies in Texas, and one studies in Ukraine. END COMMENT. MILES