The defendants were found guilty of accepting bribes, abusing their official positions, and concealing a crime. Three of them received prison sentences; however, the court applied amnesty, releasing them from serving their sentences. The fourth defendant was fined 1.1 million soms. Additionally, they were prohibited from holding positions in the Ministry of Transport and engaging in activities related to water and ground transport for two years.
Official Statement from the GKNB
On April 6, 2023, the GKNB of Kyrgyzstan reported that a stable corruption scheme had been uncovered at the weight and dimensional control post "Kara-Kul" of the Department of Weight Control of the Ministry of Transport in the Jalal-Abad region.
The investigation established that employees of the Ministry of Transport regularly extorted money from truck drivers for unhindered passage and for concealing facts of exceeding the permissible weight of cargo.
Depending on the category and degree of weight excess, the post employees took from 500 to 10,000 soms from each driver. Additionally, some employees of the transport control department of the central office of the Ministry of Transport were involved in this criminal scheme.
According to the GKNB, employees, conducting remote monitoring, regularly received money from the weight and dimensional control post for concealing violations. "The organizers of the corruption scheme repeatedly attempted to bribe GKNB employees to provide support, which was also documented," the GKNB reported in April 2023.
Thus, on April 4, 2023, at the moment of receiving a bribe of 5,000 soms from a truck driver, eight employees of the "Kara-Kul" post were detained, including the shift supervisor and the head of the transport control department. A total of 13 employees of the Ministry of Transport were detained in this case.
Statements from the Minister of Transport
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Tilek Tekebayev, emphasized that the ministry actively supports the fight against corruption and insists on holding accountable those employees who accepted bribes. Responsible and honest workers will be appointed to their positions to restore the ministry's reputation.
Court Proceedings
According to materials from the State Register of Judicial Acts, the defendants in the criminal case included T.A.A., Z.S.M., U.Z.Ch., S.A.Sh., B.S.A., N.K.M., B.K.K., Sh.K.K., U.O.T. These individuals, being inspectors and senior inspectors at the weight and dimensional control post, acted within the Department of Ground and Water Transport, seeking illegal enrichment despite their duties to compile protocols and hold violators accountable.
The investigation revealed that they systematically received bribes from truck drivers ranging from 100 to 5,000 soms, depending on the degree of excess. At the end of their shifts, they divided the illegally obtained money among themselves, and at the end of the month, they handed over part of the collected funds to their supervisor.
Moreover, T.A.A., Z.S.M., U.Z.Ch., S.A.Sh., B.S.A., N.K.M., B.K.K., M.E.N., Sh.K.K., U.O.T., and S.B. handed over 35,000 soms to the senior operative of the GKNB as a bribe for January, February, and March 2023.
S.A.B., since November 2022, serving as the head of the transport department, also participated in the corruption scheme, receiving illegal funds from senior inspectors from truck drivers.
Additionally, he failed to act upon identifying violations and accepted bribes from drivers, as well as allowing overweight vehicles to pass without inspection.
M.A.D., serving as the head of the Jalal-Abad regional department, was also aware of the corrupt actions of his subordinates and did not take action to stop them.
First Instance Court Verdict
On September 5, 2024, the Jalal-Abad City Court found M.N.K. guilty on several counts of the Criminal Code, sentencing him to 3 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. However, in accordance with the amnesty, he was released from punishment.
K.B.K. also received 3 years of imprisonment with the possibility of release under amnesty. B.S.A. was fined 1.1 million soms, and D.M.A. was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment with the possibility of release under amnesty.
Decision of the Jalal-Abad Regional Court
On March 19, 2025, the Jalal-Abad Regional Court upheld the city court's verdict, rejecting all appeals.
Appeal to the Supreme Court
In the cassation appeal, state prosecutor Karymshakov requested to change the sentences, adding additional penalties for M.D., B.K., and M.M. Convicted S.B. and his lawyer also appealed the sentences, insisting on their cancellation.
The Supreme Court, having reviewed all the case materials, partially granted the cassation appeal, changing the sentences for some defendants and imposing a two-year ban on holding positions in the Ministry of Transport. The cassation appeals of the lawyers were rejected, and the court's decision became final.
