Assistant to a Court Manager Detained in Fergana Region on Suspicion of Extortion

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In the Besharyk District of Fergana Region, officers from the State Security Service and the Department for Combating Economic Crimes detained an assistant to a court-appointed manager on suspicion of extorting funds from an entrepreneur, law enforcement authorities reported.

According to the investigation, the suspect, assigned to a production cooperative whose operations in wholesale mineral fertilizer trade had been suspended, demanded $4,000 to facilitate the collection of 300 million soums from the total debt of 1 billion 502 million soums owed to the cooperative.

The funds were supposed to be received from an LLC engaged in the production of mineral fertilizers.

Operatives detained the man in flagrante while receiving 48 million soums, which were seized as material evidence.

A criminal case has been opened against the detainee under clause “v” of Part 3, Article 168 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (“large-scale fraud”). Investigative actions are ongoing.