Tashkent City administration denies Prosecutor General's Office report on corruption case  

On February 3, the Prosecutor General's Office of Uzbekistan reported that an assistant to the mayor of the Shaykhantohur district in Tashkent misused 427.7 million sums in loan funds intended for family entrepreneurship. However, the Tashkent city administration denied these allegations the following day.  

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the assistant mayor, identified as M.F., issued electronic recommendations to 20 citizens and obtained loans under false pretenses, using the funds for personal needs instead of supporting small businesses. Additionally, M.F. allegedly facilitated 207.7 million sums in fraudulent loans for his relatives and other individuals who were not eligible under the program.  

In response, the Tashkent city administration stated that no such official currently works in the city’s administration.  

"The person referred to in the report as M.F. resigned from his position voluntarily in November last year. We urge the media to adhere to principles of reliability, objectivity, and responsibility when publishing informationr," the administration said in a statement.  

However, the original source of the allegations was not the media but the Prosecutor General’s Office. The administration’s statement did not address the official report from the prosecutors, leaving the controversy unresolved.