The state information agency TDH reports that on 9 October, 2020 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov held an extended Cabinet session to sum up the performance of the government over the period of 9 months of 2020.
The session kicked off with a report of Prosecutor General Batyr Atdayev based on the inspections carried out in institutions of culture and education.
According to Atdayev, director of the office for cultural affairs of the city of Ashgabat under Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Culture G. Seyitnepesov, who abused power and “seriously violated legal interests of the state”, was arrested and sentenced to an imprisonment term.
Cases of corruption were also identified in the Ministry of Education.
Сharges of abuse of power and large-scale bribery were initiated against Merdan Govshudov, Deputy Education Minister overseeing schools and pre-school educational establishments.
Merdan Govshudov
Govshudov was dismissed a month ago, on 4 September, 2020.On 31 August, 2020 the official was severely reprimanded with the final warning after parents and schoolchildren of Ashgabat school №64 organized a spontaneous protest in the school backyard, following the closure of the Russian language department, dismissal of teachers and students.
Kakamurad Mammedov, the head of the Ashgabat education board gave bribes to Govshudov for “helping to perform job-related responsibilities”.
Kakamurad Mammedov
Other officials from the Ministry of Education were also convicted on charges of corruption.
Former Chancellor of Turkmenistan’s State University of Economics and Management Sulgun Atayeva was arrested and convicted. During her employment from April 2015 to April 2020 she misappropriated public property.
Sulgun AtayevaFollowing the report of the Prosecutor General President Berdymukhammedov dismissed Deputy Prime Minister overseeing science, education, healthcare and sport Purli Agamyradov. The Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Extraordinary Disease Control Commission was also relieved of his post.
Purli Agamyradov
Mammetmyrat Geldiniyazov, who had previously occupied the post of the head of education and the public in Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers, was appointed as Agamyradov’s replacement.
Mammetmyrat Geldiniyazov
The President instructed that the newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister pay increased attention to designing new curriculum in finance, agriculture, manufacturing and electronic industry, as well as study advanced methods of prevention, detection and treatment of various diseases, especially infectious diseases.