Corruption

hi, for once a more serious issue. As it is part of the experience of living in Azerbaijan. . .

While waiting for getting signed in to my blog, I was thinking about many corruption stories and experiences I was told or saw in my first 6 month here. I have not paid yet any money to anybody, at least I am not aware of. Others might have done "on my behalf". Very much possible...

Corruption is the logic or maybe the rule of the system here. if you pay you can get everything...

In my angry post on my travel with a taxi from Bilasuvar to Imishli I already told you that the taxi driver paid some manat to the police officer because he was using (my) phone when driving. Police officers are any way the most visible example of corruption. They have regular checkpoints on the side of streets everywhere in Azerbaijan. I start to know where they are waiting on the way from Baku to Imishli. Nearly every time we pass a checkpoint, somebody is standing next to his car, together with one or two police officers and money is changing hands. Its so normal here, that I forget sometimes that it is not normal, but rather illegal.

There is one moment which I will always remember when thinking about AZ. A police officer with a big smile crossed the street in front of our car with a big 20 liter bottle. 20 liter of water he just "got" from the truck (full of water bottles) he just had stopped... I wish I would have a picture of that!

As I am not an expert, I would like to refer for more information to a online text. (Thanks Shain!!! Very interesting and so scary!!!)
Have a look on http://www.globalintegrity.org/reports/2006/pdfs/azerbaijan.pdf

Hugs to where-ever you are (completly for free!)
lots of love
m