"There is a jackpot for getting the job" – School principal in Kumkurgan demanded a $2,000 bribe for a janitor position
The director of School No. 83 in the Kumkurgan district of the Surkhandarya region demanded a bribe of 1,500 dollars to hire someone for a 0.5 staff unit position as a cleaner. He stated that if he created and added another 0.25 staff unit, the "price" would be 2,000 dollars. The director was caught during a special operation while receiving 1,900 dollars and 1.2 million soums as a bribe from a woman who had come to him looking for a job.
"Getting a job has a jackpot" – School principal in Qumqurghon demanded a $2,000 bribe for a janitor position
A school principal who accepted a bribe in exchange for hiring a cleaner in Qumqurghon has been criminally prosecuted.
According to the court verdict, 40-year-old S.K. (female) served as the principal of School No. 83 in Qumqurghon district. She demanded $1,500 from job applicant L.T. in exchange for hiring her as a cleaner at a 0.5 staff unit.
She also stated that she could open and add another 0.25 staff unit through officials of the Qumqurghon District Preschool and School Education Department, for which a bribe of $400-500 should be given to the department's officials.
Thus, the principal asked L.T. for $2,000 to hire her as a cleaner for a 0.75 staff unit. She was caught during a special operation while receiving the agreed amount in the form of $1,900 and 1.2 million UZS.
In court, S.K. pleaded guilty, expressed remorse for her actions, and asked the court for leniency.
The testimony of the victim L.T. was also heard in court.
"I told the principal that I needed a job, but that I didn't have a diploma. S.K. said she would hire me, but that hiring wouldn't happen on its own, that it had a jackpot. She informed me that hiring me as a cleaner would cost around $2,000," the victim said.
The guilt of the school principal was confirmed by witness testimony and other evidence.
By the verdict of the Qumqurghon District Criminal Court dated September 11, 2026, S.K. was found guilty of committing crimes provided for under Article 210, Part 1 (taking a bribe) and Articles 28, 211, Part 1 (giving a bribe) of the Criminal Code. She was sentenced to 3 years of restriction of liberty, along with the deprivation of the right to work in official and financially accountable positions in state-owned organizations for a period of 1.5 years.
S.K. was assigned obligations not to visit cafes, bars, and restaurants, not to participate in other public events, and not to leave the territory of Surkhandarya region without permission.