Former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, Major General Bekmurod Abdullayev, and six other officials suspected of embezzling over 186 billion soums have been released from custody. This was reported by human rights defender Abdurahmon Tashanov, head of the “Ezgulik” Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan. Official authorities have not yet commented on this information.
According to Tashanov, they were released on the evening of April 15 after the general’s relatives fully compensated the identified damage in cash, and the preventive measure was changed to bail amounting to at least $15.3 million. The investigation is being conducted by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan under criminal case No. 170000/2025II, with over 3,000 pages of materials and more than 500 persons interrogated.
The essence of the charges relates to the embezzlement of funds allocated to the Public Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for updating Tashkent city’s road infrastructure and launching a “smart” traffic light system. A financial audit by the Accounting Chamber uncovered the embezzlement. Tashanov emphasized that over 60 other individuals involved in the case remain in pre-trial detention facilities on similar corruption charges, causing discontent among their relatives.
The preventive measure for former head of the Department of Execution of Sentences, Colonel Rustam Tursunov, has not been changed, and he remains in custody. The initial investigation period ends on April 18, and the Prosecutor General’s Office is expected to send the materials to the Tashkent City Court for Criminal Cases for review. “Ezgulik” head Abdurahmon Tashanov stated: “Certainly, official reports should be issued on this matter. Without official explanations, questions about the activities of the investigation and law enforcement agencies will continue to grow in society.”
At the end of January, Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that embezzlement and financial violations totaling 53 trillion soums had been identified in Uzbekistan, with damage from corruption schemes amounting to 4.2 trillion soums. The head of state cited the situation in the Ministry of Internal Affairs system as an example, where, according to his words, the misappropriation of 186 billion soums in budget funds during state procurements was uncovered. “Do not forget, strict control is established over every soum of state funds. Responsibility is inevitable, punishment will be severe!”, he asserted.
Bekmurod Abdullayev had been serving as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and head of the Public Security Department since April 2021. He is the brother of businessman Bahodir Abdullayev, founder of BA Holding and current head of “Uzmetkombinat”. Rustam Tursunov had been leading the Department of Execution of Sentences since February 2021. Both were dismissed from their positions by the president’s decree and order dated November 3, 2025.
Source: www.gazeta.uz