Bribe-taking governor released?

Reports have circulated on social media claiming that Mahmud Kholbotayev, the governor of Sharof Rashidov district in Jizzakh region, who was previously detained while allegedly accepting a $10,000 bribe, has been released. However, Aziz Obidov, the spokesperson for the Supreme Court, denied these claims, stating that the former governor is currently being held in a pre-trial detention center.

According to official information, the reports about the release of Mahmud Kholbotayev, who served as the governor of Sharof Rashidov district and is accused of committing crimes under Articles 167 (embezzlement or misappropriation), 205 (abuse of official authority), 206 (exceeding authority), 209 (forgery by an official), 210 (bribery), and 229-4 (violation of land allocation procedures) of the Criminal Code, are false.

It was reported that on July 10 of this year, the Jizzakh City Criminal Court issued a ruling ordering the detention of Mahmud Kholbotayev. He remains in custody in a pre-trial detention facility.

Additionally, Kholbotayev’s criminal case is currently under the jurisdiction of the Arnasay District Criminal Court, and it has been scheduled for preliminary review.

Mahmud Kholbotayev, former governor of Sharof Rashidov district in Jizzakh region, was arrested on July 8. Despite being in custody, several decisions were reportedly issued in his name. Five such rulings were found uploaded on the E-qaror platform.

In particular, according to the decision of the district council of people’s deputies dated July 8, 2025, 42 million soums were allocated to the District Improvement Department to prepare the central street and purchase flags for the celebration of May 9 — the Day of Remembrance and Honor. In addition, 70 million soums were allocated for the purchase of slate materials to repair the roofs of multi-story residential buildings in need of renovation. On the same day, another resolution was adopted to allocate 150 million soums to strengthen the material and technical base of the district administration — to cover debts incurred during the purchase of office supplies, repair office equipment, and purchase other household materials.

Moreover, according to the decisions dated July 9, 100 million soums were allocated to strengthen the material and technical base of the district’s Family and Women’s Affairs Department; 200 million soums for the construction of an artificial turf mini-football field in the Otchopar area of the Toqchilik mahalla; 400 million soums for the current repair of a building belonging to the district Culture Department in the Qulpisar mahalla; and an additional 255 million soums to the district administration for office debt repayment, equipment repairs, and household purchases.

In response to the situation, the Jizzakh Regional Prosecutor’s Office issued an official statement, confirming that the Sharof Rashidov District Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a pre-investigation review. The regional prosecutor’s office has taken the collected documents under control to ensure a lawful decision is made.