Trial of nine begins in sprawling Uzbekneftegaz corruption case

The Yashnabad District Criminal Court in Tashkent commenced proceedings on July 24 with the initial hearing in a wide-ranging corruption case involving Uzbekneftegaz. The trial features Bakhodirjon Sidikov, the former chairman of the Uzbekneftegaz board, and eight co-defendants.

This case had previously been listed on the Yashnabad District Criminal Court's schedule for review. Presiding over the trial is Judge Jasurbek Ubaydullaev.

The defendants, including Bakhodirjon Sidikov, are presumed innocent until their guilt is legally established through due process and confirmed by a court verdict that has attained legal force.

According to the publicly available court schedule, Bakhodirjon Sidikov faces charges under multiple articles of the Criminal Code. Most of the other defendants are charged under Articles 167 and 209 of the Criminal Code. Bakhtiyor Anarkulov also faces an additional charge under Article 205, while Nodirjon Boboev is charged solely under Article 167.

During this inaugural hearing, neither the detailed substance of the indictment nor the specific circumstances underpinning the prosecution's case were presented. Similarly, the defendants' responses to the charges were not heard at this stage.

Bakhtiyor Anarkulov, one of the defendants, previously held the position of deputy chairman for financial affairs at Uztransgaz. He was removed from this role in April 2019, a period when the company was grappling with an estimated $600 million debt owed to Lukoil.