Entrepreneur Azamat Kholikov was taken into custody on April 20, 2024, on suspicion of large-scale fraud and other economic crimes, and died in a pre-trial detention center six days later. The first-instance court found the deceased guilty of large-scale fraud, tax evasion, violation of trade rules, and other offenses. The appellate court acquitted him of the fraud charge.
Kun.uz reviewed the appellate ruling. The criminal case against Kholikov and others is linked to Lake Tudakul in the Navoi region. From 2004 to 2018, the lake was leased by the Uzbek-American joint venture Aqua-Tudakul for fish farming, with the lease expiring in 2022.
In 2018, the Uzbeksanoat association held a re-tender for the lake lease, which Aqua-Tudakul won, signing a 10-year contract. However, in April 2018, the association terminated the contract and held a new tender in May, won by Golden Lake Fish LLC, registered just 20 days prior. Kholikov was the founder of this LLC.
Thus, Lake Tudakul was transferred from Aqua-Tudakul to Golden Lake Fish through an allegedly illegal tender. According to the Navoi City Court verdict of August 15, 2022, Golden Lake Fish director Panjikul Ruzikulov submitted forged documents for the tender. Aqua-Tudakul head Shavkitdin Zhamolov claimed that over 30 billion soums worth of fish remained in the lake and was transferred to Golden Lake Fish.
The first-instance verdict of February 6, 2026, found the deceased entrepreneur guilty under several articles, including fraud (Article 168, Part 4, item 'a'), tax evasion (Article 184, Part 3), violation of trade rules (Article 189, Part 1), and others. No punishment was imposed on him. Co-defendant Ruzikulov was sentenced to 6 years in prison and ordered to pay 32.6 billion soums in damages.
The appellate court ruling of June 30, 2026, overturned the first-instance verdict in part: Kholikov and Ruzikulov were acquitted of large-scale fraud, and the criminal case on that charge was dismissed. The order for Ruzikulov to pay 32.6 billion soums was also canceled. The remainder of the verdict was upheld. The parties were informed of their right to appeal to the cassation instance.
Source: kun.uz