The number of defendants in the case of the former management of Uzbekneftegaz has grown to 25 people. Who are they?

The number of defendants in the case involving the former management of Uzbekneftegaz has increased to 25 people. Who are they?

The electronic schedule of court hearings of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan lists 25 defendants in the criminal case of the former Chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftegaz, Bahodirjon Sidikov. Earlier, it was reported that eight other people were being tried alongside him.

The case is being heard in the Yashnabad District Criminal Court of Tashkent, with the hearing scheduled for October 30. The proceedings are chaired by Judge Jasurbek Ubaydullaev.

The court has not yet evaluated either the arguments of the state prosecutor or the testimony of the defendants.

Among the suspects listed is the former First Deputy Chairman of the Tax Committee, Mubin Mirzaev, who, according to the court system, faces charges under two articles of the Criminal Code.

The published data does not specify which exact episodes of the criminal case the charges against Mirzaev relate to, when he was brought into the case, or what damages are attributed to him.

Notably, on July 27, the Shaykhantakhur District Criminal Court of Tashkent had already sentenced Mubin Mirzaev to 8 years and 2 months of imprisonment in a separate criminal case.

In addition to imprisonment, the court imposed an additional penalty on Mirzaev in the form of deprivation of a specific right for a period of three years. Eight other defendants in that case received prison terms ranging from 4 to 9 years. The court also ruled to recover the damages caused.

Thus, Mirzaev figures in two criminal cases with different sets of charges.

In addition to Sidikov and Mirzaev, the court system lists the former Deputy Chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftegaz, Bakhtiyar Anarkulov, former head of the procurement department of the company, Dilmurod Burkhanov, representative of Enter Engineering, Ulugbek Usmonov, representative of Eriell Management, Nodirjon Boboev, and other individuals.

Bahodirjon Sidikov faces charges under Articles 167 (embezzlement by means of misappropriation or waste), 205 (abuse of power or official authority), 209 (official forgery), and 243 (legalization of income derived from criminal activity) of the Criminal Code. The published list also includes charges of false entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and other crimes against individual defendants.

In July, the press service of the Supreme Court reported nine defendants, five of whom were in custody, while four had been granted bail as a preventive measure.

Why the electronic case file lists significantly more people than was initially officially reported, and whether this composition of defendants is currently maintained, is not specified.

The list of defendants includes Masrur Shakirov (Masrur Muminovich Shakirov). He faces charges under Articles 167 (embezzlement by means of misappropriation or waste) and 209 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code.

According to data from Orginfo and iHamkor, an individual with identical full name is the head of the company Arkchemical, registered in the Karakul district of the Bukhara region in June 2023. The Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office reported in June that it had uncovered the embezzlement of state funds amounting to 643.2 billion soums ($53.9 million) under the expansion project of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex, in which Arkchemical is involved.

Its founders are Sanoat Energetika Guruhi Enera (60%) and Uzbekneftegaz (40%).

Shakirov is also listed as the head of Gas Chemical Complex MTO Central Asia, which is implementing a major gas chemical project in the Bukhara region. Information about the head is confirmed by MyOrg, where data was updated in October 2026.

In earlier publications, Shakirov was mentioned as the Deputy General Director of Jizzakh Petroleum, which was subsequently renamed Sanoat Energetika Guruhi (Saneg).

Thus, the name of one of the defendants coincides with the name of the head of two gas chemical companies at once, one of which is directly connected to Uzbekneftegaz through its ownership structure.

Another defendant is Olim Yusupovich Orinbaev. He faces charges under Articles 167 (embezzlement by means of misappropriation or waste) and 209 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code.

In the Orginfo register, an individual with the same full name is listed as the head of Ustyurtgaz LLC.

The company was engaged in natural gas extraction in the Muynak district of Karakalpakstan. According to register data as of January 2024, its sole founder was JSC Uzbekneftegaz, which owned 100% of the authorized capital. The company is currently marked in the register as liquidated.

Furthermore, Orginfo lists an individual with this full name among the founders of Ustyurt Drilling System (TIN 309987649). According to information as of August 2025, he owned a 50% stake.

The court list also includes Furkatjon Khatamov, Nasullo Nutfullaev, Sardorbek Karimov, and Kuvondik Sadullaev.

Corporate databases revealed exact matches of their full names with the heads or founders of enterprises that participated in the procurements of oil and gas companies.

According to Orginfo, an individual named Furkatjon Satimbaevich Khatamov is listed as the head and owner of 74.6% of Ecomax Energy LLC. The company's file reflects two procurements by Uzbekneftegaz:

In both cases, Ecomax Energy is listed as the winner.

In Orginfo, Nasullo Numonjonovich Nutfullaev is listed as the head and sole founder of Enproc MNG.

In May 2023, the company was listed as the winner of two procurements by Uzbekneftegaz for the Mubarek Gas Processing Plant:

The company specializes in the wholesale trade of metal products, plumbing, and heating equipment.

According to Orginfo, an individual named Sardorbek Dilshod ugli Karimov is listed as the head and owner of 50% of Stark Industries Distribution. On July 19, 2023, the enterprise was declared the winner of an Uzbekneftegaz procurement for the supply of spare parts for a gas engine and compressor of the Shurtan Oil and Gas Production Department. The amount of lot No. 277520 was 754.3 million soums.

In February 2024, the enterprise also received an order for the supply of HART communicators for the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex with a specified cost of 37.9 thousand euros.

Another defendant is Kuvondik Narimanovich Sadullaev. He faces charges under Articles 167, 179 (false entrepreneurship), 209, 227 (crimes related to documents, seals, and stamps), and 243 of the Criminal Code.

In the Orginfo register, an individual with the same full name is listed as the sole founder of General Amcent Group LLC (TIN 305811782). The company appears among the winners of procurements for oil and gas enterprises, in particular:

In corporate databases, an individual with this full name is also mentioned in connection with the enterprises Denair Uzbekistan and Neftegaz Mexanika.

Among the defendants is also Islambek Dilshod ugli Karimov, who was listed as the founder and head of Neftegaz Mexanika, registered in May 2021. In corporate information for different periods, the name of Kuvondik Narimanovich Sadullaev also appears, including as the head or accountant of the enterprise.

There is no indication in publicly available court materials that the activities of the above-mentioned companies form part of the charges pressed.

The procurements found in corporate registers cannot be considered as episodes of the criminal case without confirmation from the court, the prosecution, or other procedural documents.

The presence of a company among the suppliers of Uzbekneftegaz does not in itself indicate violations during the conclusion or execution of contracts.

Bahodirjon Sidikov was relieved of his post as Chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftegaz in December 2025. He was succeeded by Abdugani Sanginov, who had previously headed Uzbekhydroenergo.

On January 27, 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced large-scale audits at Uzbekneftegaz and the State Assets Management Agency, during which embezzlements worth billions of soums were uncovered.

On the same day, the head of state dismissed Mubin Mirzaev from the position of First Deputy Chairman of the Tax Committee, criticizing the agency's work in connection with the illegal refund of VAT from the budget.

The trial of the former management of Uzbekneftegaz began on July 24. At the hearing on July 31, Bahodirjon Sidikov pleaded not guilty and gave testimony on 19 counts of the indictment. He explained the company's decisions by the need to maintain gas production, fulfill government orders and obligations to creditors and investors, as well as commercial disputes with contractors.

On August 14, the Yashnabad District Court moved the proceedings behind closed doors following a petition from the prosecutor, who cited the presence of secret documents and classified internal materials. Sidikov's defense suggested closing only specific parts of the hearings, but the court decided to close the entire trial.