Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Alisher Turaev has been sentenced to prison by the Mirzo-Ulugbek District Criminal Court in Tashkent.

In September 2021, a tender was held for the supply of 1 million grape seedlings worth 9.95 billion soums, with De Nova Agro winning the contract. The company was founded by Alisher Turaev’s son, Bekzhon Turaev, and managed by his daughter, Anais Turaeva.

The court found that Alisher Turaev had formed a tender commission with "trusted persons" to ensure his company’s victory, despite no actual meeting of the commission taking place.

The National Center for Knowledge and Innovations in Agriculture signed a contract with De Nova Agro, but the seedlings were never delivered. Fake documents were created, and money was transferred and later stolen.

Turaev, his daughter, and the center’s accountants were accused of falsifying documents related to the receipt and transfer of seedlings and creating false certificates about the death of seedlings that supposedly suffered in greenhouses. The forgery included data about a non-existent delivery of 562,800 seedlings to the Tashkent Regional Agro Service Center and unjustified charges of 509.1 million soums for plant care and salaries.

Alisher Turaev was found guilty of embezzlement and official misconduct. He was sentenced to six years in prison and banned from holding leadership positions in government organizations.

His daughter, Anais Turaeva, was sentenced to five years and one month in prison, with the execution of the sentence deferred until 2027.

Accountant Mansur Kuzibekov was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.