Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A large theft of funds intended for the restoration of religious sites was discovered in Bukhara.

According to the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan, more than 3 billion soums were stolen. These funds were to be used for the repair and restoration of historically significant mosques and madrassas, as well as for the purchase of necessary materials.

During the investigation, it was discovered that inaccurate data was entered into the documentation for the work performed. As a result of fraudulent actions, material damage amounted to:

- 731 million soums for the Khoja Kalon minaret;

- 216 million soums for the Husayni madrasah;

- 90 million soums for the Nodir Devonbegi madrasah.

In addition, it turned out that employees of the Bukhara Regional Restoration Center used 2.3 billion soums for personal needs.

At the moment, a criminal case has been opened and further investigation into the situation is underway.