The Relationship Between Corruption and Quasi-Corruption Acts: Uzbekistan's Criminal Law Doctrine and Comparative Analysis
The article discusses the concepts and types of corruption acts and related offenses (so-called "quasi-corruption" acts). The criminal law doctrine of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of combating corruption is analyzed, including recent legislative novelties. A comparative legal analysis of the legislation of foreign countries – Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Germany, France, Japan, China, Singapore, and Sweden – is conducted in terms of subjects, objects of attack, and sanctions for similar acts. International anti-corruption instruments (the UN Convention against Corruption 2003, the Council of Europe Convention 1999, the Inter-American Convention 1996) and their influence on the formation of the concept of corruption crimes are examined. Special attention is given to the distinction between categories: purely corruption crimes, quasi-corruption crimes, disciplinary offenses related to corruption, and corruption-prone behavior (borderline forms). Views of contemporary scholars (B.J. Akharov, K.R. Abdurasulova, I. Ismailov, M.Kh. Rustambaev, V.V. Luneev, A.I. Mizeriy, I.A. Savenko, etc.) on the essence of corruption and the criteria for distinguishing related offenses are presented. In conclusion, proposals for the improvement of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan are formulated – lists of crimes to be considered as corruption-related in both narrow and broad senses are defined, criteria for distinguishing them from other offenses are established, and changes and additions to the norms are recommended to address the identified gaps.