"The money was not blocked by the bank." AVO Bank responded to a complaint about the freezing of a large deposit

2 hours ago

A complaint by an AVO Bank client, who has been unable to access his deposit for more than 4 months after selling an apartment, has caused a wide resonance on social networks. According to the man, the deposit was frozen a month before the expiration of the contract term, the money is not being returned, and the accrual of interest has been stopped. After the story received publicity, AVO Bank provided an official comment and explained what happened to the client's funds.

According to the client, on December 9, 2025, he sold an apartment under a notarized contract and placed the received money through the bank's mobile application into a six-month deposit. On May 14, 2026, a month before the expiration of the deposit term, the account was blocked — according to the client, without providing any document. On June 10, the deposit term expired, but the funds were never returned to him.

According to AVO Bank, the restrictions were introduced not on the initiative of the bank itself, but at the request of a law enforcement agency as part of investigative activities. The credit institution emphasized that they received the corresponding request and cannot cancel it on their own — only the authorized law enforcement agency that imposed the restriction, namely the Yunusabad District Department of Internal Affairs, has the right to lift it.

"The bank has no right to demand or request from law enforcement agencies the issuance of procedural acts lifting the arrest on the property of an individual. Filing petitions and demanding the issuance of such documents is the right of the citizen himself, as the owner of the funds," the statement says.

Responding to the client's words that the bank did not provide him with the specific document that became the basis for blocking the account, the financial institution noted that documents received from authorized law enforcement agencies that are of a confidential or official nature cannot be transferred to third parties under the legislation of Uzbekistan.

Separately, AVO Bank explained the situation with the letter from law enforcement agencies, which the client refers to as the basis for unblocking the funds. According to the depositor, the document dated September 10, 2026, called the blocking of the account groundless. The bank confirmed that they had indeed studied this letter, but a legal analysis showed that it did not contain direct procedural instructions and sufficient legal grounds for lifting the restrictions.

In addition, AVO Bank emphasized that the organization independently sent inquiries to law enforcement agencies and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan to verify the submitted data and clarify all the circumstances of the blocking. However, the official act on lifting the restrictions has not yet been received by the financial institution. The bank separately noted that the timeframe for unblocking funds does not depend on the credit institution and is determined solely by the decision of the authorized body. At the same time, the bank continues to interact with government agencies and assist in the speedy resolution of the issue.

AVO Bank also clarified that, despite the restriction on operations, the accrual of interest on the client's deposit did not stop. Previously, the client claimed that interest had stopped accruing since June 11, 2026.

Commenting on the spread of the situation on social networks, AVO Bank urged users to verify information before publishing and declared its readiness to defend its position in accordance with the procedure established by law.