In the Fergana region, a verdict was handed down in the case of the poisoning of 105 kindergarten children

Verdict announced in Fergana region in case of poisoning of 105 kindergarten children

In the Fergana region, four executives and employees of Garden Catering Trade were found guilty in a case involving the mass poisoning of kindergarten children, embezzlement of budget funds, and forgery of documents. In February 2026, after consuming food supplied by this company, 105 children showed signs of poisoning.

The sentence was handed down on September 21 by the Furkat District Criminal Court. Company head Shavkat Turdaliev was found guilty under articles on embezzlement of budget funds, theft, document forgery, violation of sanitary legislation, and circulation of products that do not meet safety requirements. He was sentenced to 3 years and 9 days of restriction of liberty, taking into account time spent in custody.

Technologist Rasulzhon Alimov, who was found guilty of violating sanitary legislation and circulating unsafe products, was sentenced to 2 years, 6 months, and 9 days of restriction of liberty. Both were released from custody directly in the courtroom.

Former head of the company Iqboljon Bozorov and accountant Akhliddin Saifitdinov were each sentenced to three years of correctional labor with a 20% deduction from their earnings for the benefit of the state. They were found guilty of embezzling budget funds and document forgery.

On the evening of February 20, parents of children attending several state kindergartens in Fergana reported cases of child poisoning. According to the regional health department, dozens of children were admitted to the hospital. At that time, 62 children were under inpatient observation with a diagnosis of "acute diarrheal infection of alimentary etiology."

Gulnara Marufova, a senator from the Fergana region, commented on the situation at the time. She stated that the incident was under the personal control of the leadership of the region and the Senate, emphasizing that "there are no other people's children." Marufova promised that the causes of the poisoning would be established, and the actions of responsible persons would receive a legal evaluation. The situation was also monitored by deputies of the Fergana City Kengash.

During the investigation, it was revealed that on February 20, the children were served meat cabbage rolls. Laboratory tests showed the presence of Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the food samples. The same bacteria were found in swabs taken from kitchen equipment, surfaces, and workers' hands. In addition, bacteria of the E. coli group were found in some of the kitchen samples.

The inspection also revealed violations in the procurement and storage of food. The company lacked quality certificates for 34 types of products, and certain batches of salt, cucumbers, and flour were recognized as poor quality. Sanitary authorities suspended the operation of its culinary and confectionery workshops.

The court also examined episodes of embezzlement of budget funds related to the misrepresentation of the number of children and reporting on products that were not actually purchased, including meat and butter.

In particular, according to the case materials, Garden Catering Trade head Shavkat Turdaliev and the company's chief accountant Akhliddin Saifitdinov inflated the number of kindergarten children in the daily menus and submitted fictitious reports. Thus, as established by the court, they embezzled 330.8 million sums of budget funds.

Another episode concerned the purchase of meat and butter. According to the court, the company did not actually purchase the prescribed norms of these products, but stated in its reports that they were fully issued to the children. The documents featured 1,270 kilograms of butter worth about 79.9 million sums and 2,447 kilograms of meat worth about 183.5 million sums. The court established embezzlement in this episode in the amount of 594.1 million sums.

At the same time, cases of mass illness among children in Fergana kindergartens were recorded later as well. In October 2026, it became known that children in kindergartens No. 2, 7, and 47 felt unwell. The children experienced high temperatures, abdominal pain, weakness, nausea, and diarrhea. On the morning of October 26, 28 children were in the regional infectious diseases hospital, while another 23 were sent home after being examined by doctors.