Archive · 2023 · From the print edition of Friday 17 November 2023, Vol. 31, No. 9,605
CourtsSix checkpoint sergeants jailed for tanker bribes
The Talas District Court convicted six Gendarmerie sergeants of taking bribes to wave fuel tankers through the main crossing on the Qara-Chik line. No officer above them was charged.
TALAS — Six sergeants of the Republican Gendarmerie were sentenced to prison yesterday after the Talas District Court convicted them of taking bribes to pass fuel tankers through the main checkpoint on the Qara-Chik line south of Talas.
The prosecution said the tankers carried diesel under false manifests and were bound for the tribal regions, where the UN mission reported this year that diesel sells in Chatkal valley villages for 40 to 60 percent more than in Talas. The court heard that payments were made in cash at the barrier and passed between the men on shift.
In a statement after the verdict, the Gendarmerie said the case showed that its internal discipline worked and that “no uniform protects a thief”. No officer above the rank of sergeant was charged, and the prosecution did not say whether its inquiry had examined who supervised the shifts.
Exile outlets and FreeIrad.org have alleged that senior Gendarmerie figures take part in the fuel trade into the tribal regions. The allegations are unverified. The Gendarmerie has denied them, and no inquiry has been opened.