The fourth and longest hearing in the criminal case against Uzbek blogger and entrepreneur Sanjar Karimov (Real Sanjik) concluded at the Mirzo-Ulugbek District Court. The session focused on whether $240,000 was actually handed over in a notary's office and where hundreds of thousands of dollars ultimately went – into a crypto business or to repay old debts.
Earlier, Shahzod Rismatov, currently serving a 9-year sentence, testified via video link from prison. He claimed he was held in the UAE without a passport and that a $235,000 SWIFT check was fake, used to pressure his family into signing property documents. Rismatov retracted his previous testimony, alleging it was given under pressure from Karimov's lawyers. He stated the scheme began with Karimov's proposal to open a joint crypto exchange in Dubai with a $600,000 budget.
The notary who handled the August 7, 2024 sale of the Olimboyev family home testified that he read the contract aloud and faced no objections. However, he contradicted Karimov's claim of handing over $240,000 in a black bag: “I did not see the money.” He noted Karimov carried an umbrella, hat, and briefcase, but no cash bag.
Witness Ibrahim Mollanov told the court he lent Rismatov $272,000 for a smartphone resale business, of which $168,000 was repaid. Rismatov also owed $100,000 for a BMW M3, paying only $46,000. Mollanov said on August 7, Rismatov delivered $200,000 in a black bag, followed by $50,000 and $46,000. Mollanov refrained from filing a complaint, hoping for repayment of the remaining $54,000.
Karimov, taking the stand, denied knowledge of Rismatov's debts or crypto venture. He insisted the property purchase was legitimate and the money was handed over openly. His request to call the notary's assistant as a witness was denied. “I have deceived no one and am ready to return the house, just let me go,” Karimov pleaded.
The trial continues, with the defense maintaining Karimov's innocence and the prosecution highlighting inconsistencies in witness accounts.
Source: podrobno.uz