Corruption in Shaykhantohur: Assistant mayor diverts business loans for personal use

An assistant mayor in the Shaykhantohur district of Tashkent has been caught misusing 427.7 million sums allocated for family entrepreneurship development. The Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the official, identified as M.F., fraudulently obtained the funds and spent them for personal purposes.  

According to the investigation, M.F. used electronic keys to approve credit applications for 20 citizens. The loans were intended to support small businesses, handicrafts, home-based industries, and services for low-income families. However, instead of directing the money towards its intended purpose, M.F. diverted the funds for his own benefit.  

In addition, M.F. fraudulently acquired 207.7 million sums in loans for his relatives and five other individuals who did not reside in the mahalla. These loans were issued based on fake recommendations, further deepening the scale of the embezzlement.  

A criminal case has been initiated under Article 168, Part 4, Clause “a” (fraud), along with other relevant articles of the Criminal Code. Preliminary investigations are currently underway.  

This case follows a similar corruption scandal in the Kyzyryk district of Surkhandarya, where an assistant mayor was sentenced to two years of correctional labor for accepting a bribe in exchange for loan disbursement.  

Authorities continue to investigate corruption cases involving government officials, as efforts to curb financial misconduct intensify across Uzbekistan.