Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — An assistant to the khokim of Tashkent’s Uchtepa district, responsible for entrepreneurship development, employment, and poverty reduction, has been detained, UzA reports.

The official was caught red-handed while accepting US$30,000, which he had demanded in exchange for ensuring a guaranteed victory in an auction for a 210-square-meter land plot intended for the construction of four stores.

The accused claimed that his "high-level connections" could influence the auction’s outcome and planned to register the land in his own name. Investigators will verify the validity of his alleged connections.

A criminal case has been initiated against the detainee under Part 4, Article 168 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, which pertains to large-scale fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

It is noteworthy that the individual had previously been convicted three times for theft, fraud, and abuse of office.