Mirziyoyev Orders Investigation into Multi-Billion Soum Embezzlement at “Uzbekneftegaz” and the State Assets Agency

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during a meeting on 27 January that a comprehensive audit of the state-owned company “Uzbekneftegaz” and the State Assets Management Agency had uncovered embezzlement totaling billions of soums.

According to the president, officials of the State Assets Management Agency sold a land plot at a closed auction for just 120 billion soums, despite its market value being no less than 250 billion soums. Following the revelations, the agency’s director, Akmalkhon Ortikov, was dismissed from his post.

Mirziyoyev highlighted the broader accountability issue, stating: “The logical question arises: if corruption has flourished in these agencies for many years, where were those responsible for security oversight?”

He instructed the head of the State Security Service, Bahodir Kurbanov, to review the responsibility of employees supervising the activities of “Uzbekneftegaz” and the State Assets Agency. The compliance division and the State Security Service were also tasked with involving specialists from units responsible for economic security in the investigative team handling the criminal case against agency officials. “Each case of state property sales must be thoroughly examined, all corruption schemes must be exposed, and punishment must be unavoidable,” Mirziyoyev emphasized.

It is worth recalling that in December 2025, Abdugani Sanginov, formerly head of “Uzbekgidroenergo,” was appointed chairman of “Uzbekneftegaz,” replacing Bahodir Sidikov, who was later taken into custody on suspicion of embezzling state funds and other corruption offenses.

Under the new management, the heads of the Termez, Jizzakh, Marakand, Kuchlik, and Turakurgan oil depots were dismissed for serious violations committed over the year. Additionally, a new deputy head for geological affairs was appointed.