<p class="title">Turkmen state television on Wednesday paraded a former top security official in handcuffs and confessing to corruption after he was sacked by all-powerful President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Central Asian country's tightly controlled television showed the president and security chiefs watching footage of former interior minister Isgender Mulikov in prison uniform and with his head shaved.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In office for 10 years, Mulikov was the longest-serving of the heads of Turkmenistan's security bloc when his sacking was announced in October, with Berdymukhamedov complaining that "corruption and bribery violate the state".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The television report said Mulikov, who bowed his head and spoke in a monotone, has been convicted and sentenced to jail but did not say for how long.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Berdymukhamedov was shown criticising Mulikov and another former top official jailed on corruption charges.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We entrusted these people with top government posts... They tarnished the honour of their families, relatives," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The report included footage of a huge stack of dollars allegedly received as bribes as well as jewellery, gold bars, watches and several large houses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Berdymukhamedov said in October that Mulikov had received 12 "stern reprimands" prior to his dismissal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Berdymukhamedov's predecessor, eccentric dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, who styled himself "Father of the Turkmen", was also fond of publicly humiliating disgraced officials on television.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Little is known about the day-to-day workings of the Turkmen state, which is famous for erecting lavish monuments to leaders who have no political opposition or free press to contend with.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The gas-rich country of over five million people has long been criticised by rights groups over alleged abuses, especially in its secretive prison system.</p>
<p class="title">Turkmen state television on Wednesday paraded a former top security official in handcuffs and confessing to corruption after he was sacked by all-powerful President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Central Asian country's tightly controlled television showed the president and security chiefs watching footage of former interior minister Isgender Mulikov in prison uniform and with his head shaved.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In office for 10 years, Mulikov was the longest-serving of the heads of Turkmenistan's security bloc when his sacking was announced in October, with Berdymukhamedov complaining that "corruption and bribery violate the state".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The television report said Mulikov, who bowed his head and spoke in a monotone, has been convicted and sentenced to jail but did not say for how long.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Berdymukhamedov was shown criticising Mulikov and another former top official jailed on corruption charges.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We entrusted these people with top government posts... They tarnished the honour of their families, relatives," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The report included footage of a huge stack of dollars allegedly received as bribes as well as jewellery, gold bars, watches and several large houses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Berdymukhamedov said in October that Mulikov had received 12 "stern reprimands" prior to his dismissal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Berdymukhamedov's predecessor, eccentric dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, who styled himself "Father of the Turkmen", was also fond of publicly humiliating disgraced officials on television.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Little is known about the day-to-day workings of the Turkmen state, which is famous for erecting lavish monuments to leaders who have no political opposition or free press to contend with.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The gas-rich country of over five million people has long been criticised by rights groups over alleged abuses, especially in its secretive prison system.</p>