The Shaykhontohur District Court for Criminal Cases has announced its verdict on the car dealership operators who took out loans in people’s names and defrauded them. Kun.uz has reviewed the court ruling.

Six individuals were charged in the criminal case: Zohid Togaev; the founder of "Green-Waatt" and "Quwwatt Motors" LLCs, Nozimjon Aslanov; the head of "Green-Waatt" LLC, Obidkhon Turaev; the head of "Ev Sky" LLC, Dilshod Eshonkulov; the founder of several LLCs, Vahobjon Mukharamkhujayev, and Sherbek Ozodbekov. The organized group was led by Zohid Togaev.

These individuals used attractive advertisements to lure unemployed citizens with no stable income into a supposed joint profit scheme. They gave these citizens between $100 and $500, then took out large bank loans — ranging from 200 to 300 million UZS — in their names, ostensibly for purchasing vehicles. The loaned money was funneled to the scheme’s top organizers, while the victims were assured that the loan payments would be covered by the company and that within two months, a car would be imported from China, resold, and the loan repaid in full.

In this manner, 203 people were deceived, with a total financial loss of 62 billion UZS.

The court sentenced:

- Zohid Togaev and Dilshod Eshonkulov to 9 years in prison;
- Obidkhon Turaev and Vahobjon Mukharamkhujayev to 8.5 years;
- Nozimjon Aslanov to 8 years and 1 month;
- Sherbek Ozodbekov to 4 years and 2 months, along with a 2-year ban on holding positions of financial and administrative responsibility in state institutions.

All defendants were found guilty under:

- Article 168, Part 4 (a, v) of the Criminal Code (large-scale fraud committed by an organized group);
- Article 228, Part 2 (a, b) (pre-arranged document forgery, stamp and seal fabrication, and their use by a group).

To recover the damages, the court ordered Togaev, Eshonkulov, Turaev, Aslanov, and Mukharamkhujayev to pay:

- 14.448 billion UZS to Asia Alliance Bank,
- 957 million UZS to Ziraat Bank Uzbekistan,
- 22.216 billion UZS to Turonbank,
- 10.413 billion UZS to National Bank of Uzbekistan (plus 1.429 billion UZS from all defendants jointly),
- 7.279 billion UZS to Ipak Yuli Bank,
- 2.366 billion UZS to Aloqabank,
- 540 million UZS to Hamkorbank,
- Additional various amounts to several victims.

Earlier, it was reported that the leaders of "Umid avto" and "Bilol’s electric motors" LLCs were arrested on suspicion of large-scale fraud.