The Head of Ferghana region is speculating in relations with the President’s relatives

For more than two years, the entrepreneur from Uzbekistan, Hamidullo Topvoldiev, has been litigating, trying to save his property. In an interview with ACCA, he talked about how his once successful entrepreneurial activity was the object of attacks and bullying by the Head of Ferghana region, Shukhrat Ganiev, who uses all the levers of his power for selfish interests.

 – Some time ago, you spoke on social networks, gave interviews to the media, where you talked about how you are losing property and why workplaces are being cut at your enterprises. How did it end?

– This situation is still ongoing. I was taken away from the business that I created in the difficult 90s, managed to keep in the 2000s, and now I have remained almost without anything. And all through the fault of one person – the Head of Ferghana region, Shukhrat Ganiev. By his will, assets belonging to me in the amount of about a million US dollars were taken and resold from me, deprived of land. My future and my loved ones now seems hopeless. After speaking on the BBC and Radio “Liberty”, bullying and threats of physical violence began. The Prosecutor General’s Office distanced itself from the consideration of my complaints, redirecting them to lower authorities, which are controlled by khokim Ganiev. Local courts sided with the regional administration, as they are still dependent on the executive branch. All instances of the state vertical of management and judicial bodies make decisions solely in the interests of the Head of the region. His word is law! The last patience ended when the tax authorities counted the arrears of 280 million soums (at that time about $35.000) of my Mobile Mechanized Column (MMC) in Kushtepin district. I was forced to pay this amount, and then the District Administration completely took this MMC away.

– So, you became the object of ruin by conspiracy of corrupt officials?

– It turns out that way. Last year, the Head of Kushtepin region was caught on a bribe of 20.000 US dollars and detained. A day after the intervention of Shukhrat Ganiev, he was free. Two months ago, I again appealed to the Prosecutor General with a complaint about the abuse of Shukhrat Ganiev, and Ganiev himself immediately responded to this. He sent his deputy, who, together with a group of law enforcement officials, came to the territory where the three trading premises I previously owned were located, and the new owner was announced to be demolished. Of course, they did not know that I had already sold these outlets. When they were convinced that they no longer belong to me, they called Ganiev, and he canceled their demolition. Now, the new owner wants to open a school there.

– And when did you sell this property?

– In June 2019. I addressed to foreign media after I was taken away from an unfinished shopping center. I took a bank loan for its construction and invested my own funds in the total amount of 6 billion soums ($733.000). In general, losses on this project amounted to more than 2 million US dollars. The Prosecutor’s office and the courts made decisions, contrary to the right to protect property, on the basis of which the object with a market value of more than 2 million dollars was sold for 300.000 US dollars. The unreasonably low cost of my property under the deal is clearly illegal, but prosecutors do not notice this. I also understand why. This object was sold with the active participation of his brother Shukhrat Ganiev, his name is Shavkat Ganiev. The deal was carried out without a tender, it was registered in the name of the owner of the company “Mehnat pivo” [“Mehnat Beer”]. It seems, his name is Muzaffar.

I’ve been waiting for the eighth year for the parcellation for demolished objects according to the law. Sale of land in Ferghana, Margilan and Kokand is only under the control of the Head of the region Ganiev. Any initiative on the part of subordinates suspected of selling land is severely suppressed by the forces of subordinates to the Head of the region officials.

Another example of abuse of power by Shukhrat Ganiev. This year, all banks of Ferghana region were forced to pay mulberry seedlings at a triple price. Everyone knows the answer, where does the difference go. Wild market! And some have to survive, while others profit from the rest. Most recently, his wife, Khilola Mashrabbaeva, Head of kindergarten No.35 in Margilan, had a planned tax inspection. Analysis of financial activity showed a very large shortage. We are talking about hundreds of millions soums, but Shukhrat Ganiev’s wife is getting away with it. I think that this will not always be so.

– And what happened to the workers of your enterprises, which were taken from you?

– At my enterprises, more than 800 employees were paid. Now many of them are in search of work, as the new owners fired almost all of them. Someone cannot find a job, someone left.

– In one of the interviews you said that you were ready to attract investments to the sum of tens of millions US dollars …

– Yes, my Russian partners are interested in investing almost $100 million in textile production. But who will invest their capital in a country where local entrepreneurs are going bankrupt?

– Your colleagues tried to support you? At least, morally?

– Everyone’s bullied. Nobody will go to an open confrontation with the decisions of Shukhrat Ganiev. He has a group of 15 trained people to frighten. I have known cases of physical reprisals against those who are not satisfied. By his order, houses were demolished in Rishtan district. For this, Shukhrat Ganiev unreasonably fired 14 officials. He gets away with it. When he was criticized by Shavkat Mirziyoev, he formally apologized to the residents, but this was a “theater”. Lawlessness as it was, and continues in our region. Ganiev is confident of impunity. All complaints about him in Tashkent are forwarded to him, and this is not just a bureaucracy, this is a collusion of officials.

– President Shavkat Mirziyoev has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Ganiev. A year ago, he criticized him for his lack of investments: “Why am I dissatisfied with the khokim of Ferghana region … Sorry, but he reminds me of the chairman of the kolkoz. I can’t carry out reforms with such a person. I cannot”. So, why does he not remove him from the post of Head?

– I cannot answer for Mirziyoev to your question. As I know, Ganiev himself always positions himself as a confidant of the President. He does not hide his proximity to the Kokand relatives of the President of the country, he speculates on this. Such behavior of Shukhrat Ganiev can only be stopped by Mirziyoev himself. Prosecutors and judges, as others, are not able to stop abusing the exclusive capabilities of this khokim.

– You were part of this system and until you were touched, Shukhrat Ganiev did not disturb you. What do you seek besides justice and asset recovery?

– I was absorbed in my work and while they were not stopping me to do business, I did not know what Shukhrat Ganiev was doing. When I was faced with the problems that he created for me, I did not accept.

In Ferghana region there are normal people in power. It is just Shukhrat Ganiev by his actions slows down the economic development of the region. It is impossible to resist him, since it is easy to be the object of contract reprisal. Business, if it does not interfere, can create workplaces, attract investments, and respond social responsibility. I’m not afraid of Ganiev. I know him personally and have faced his duplicity more than once. In a difficult moment, he estimated my help as paternal. There is nothing sacred for him: neither the homeland, nor the people. He speaks to everyone about his devotion to President Mirziyoev, and meanwhile he acts exclusively in his own interests, he is used to living like that. At one time, he also used the President Islam Karimov. Eventually, Mirziyoev will understand who Shukhrat Ganiev is.