The former deputy mayor of Gulistan, who deceived Chinese investors, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison.

The court proceedings revealed that Kodir Dodoev, abusing his official position, deceived Chinese citizens Qin Dungen and Xue Zhongwu, who arrived in the Syrdarya region in September 2023 to establish a business and invest. Dodoev, along with translator Abduvoris Abduvaliev and citizen Shokir Faiziev, misled the investors.

They claimed that to engage in poultry farming, the investors could acquire a former cotton factory site measuring 9.2 hectares in the "Nurlu Yul" neighborhood of the Saykhunabad district through an online auction. The stated price for the property was allegedly $200,000, while its actual value was 1.844 billion sums.

Subsequently, Dodoev informed Qin Dungen that funds needed to be transferred for a share in the property. In this manner, he fraudulently obtained $15,000 from the investor initially, and then, on November 2, 2023, an additional $185,000 in his office. Of this amount, $134,450 was used to pay for the property at the auction, while the remaining $65,550 was embezzled.

To legitimize his actions, Kodir Dodoev exploited his official position and the seal of the Gulistan city administration, creating a fictitious land use schedule. The schedule included an amount of $190,000 and was certified with the administration's seal, after which it was presented to Qin Dungen as a document confirming the receipt of funds.

Moreover, in early November 2023, the deputy hokim showed Qin Dungen a 9.8-hectare plot of land located in the "Uluqobod" neighborhood of Gulistan city. The investor liked this plot, and Dodoev stated that its price was $150,000, requiring an initial payment of $100,000, with the remaining $50,000 to be paid after the preparation of cadastral documents. In mid-November 2023, Qin Dungen traveled to China to transfer the money. His son Qin Inhua and nephew Xue Zhongwu brought the funds to Kodir Dodoev's office.

The criminal group, knowing that the industrial zone plot shown to the investor could not be sold directly, embezzled $100,000 from Qin Dungen. Then, to give their actions a semblance of legitimacy, Dodoev again used the previous method: he created a land use schedule for a 9.8-hectare plot in the industrial zone, certifying it with the Gulistan city administration's seal. The schedule listed an amount of $150,000, and the document was handed over to the son and nephew of Qin Dungen as proof of the receipt of funds.

However, later, upon learning that projects for poultry farming and textiles could not be realized on the specified industrial zone plot, the criminals began searching for another plot that might interest the investor to cover up their crimes and avoid returning the money to Qin Dungen. During their search, they inspected a farm in the "Bakhmalsoy" neighborhood of the Saykhunabad district, specializing in livestock, with an additional area of 23 hectares. They agreed with the farm owner to purchase the plot along with the land for $140,000. They then showed the farm to Qin Dungen's son and nephew, attempting to entice them into purchasing it. At this point, Kodir Dodoev's father, Shukhrat Mamarasulov, was presented as the owner of the property.

The deputy hokim and the translator claimed that the value of the property was $250,000, and if the investor paid $200,000, $50,000 from the previously transferred $100,000 would be allocated for the purchase of this farm.

In early December 2023, Qin Dungen transferred $200,000 from China. The money was delivered to Kodir Dodoev's office by his son and nephew. The deputy hokim again created a fake schedule to present it as a document confirming the receipt of funds.

Kodir Dodoev and his accomplices also stated that they would assist in acquiring a 10-hectare water body for fish farming, and obtained an additional $125,000 from Qin Dungen, but they did not fulfill this promise.

Thus, the criminal group embezzled over $350,000 from Chinese investor Qin Dungen.

Additionally, the deputy hokim and translator promised another Chinese investor, Liu Changzhan, to prepare cadastral documents for a new manufacturing facility in the Saykhunabad district and received $21,000 from him.

The Saykhunabad district criminal court found Kodir Dodoev guilty of committing a crime under paragraph "a" of part 4 of Article 168 of the Criminal Code (Fraud in a particularly large amount). He was sentenced to 9 years in prison with a prohibition on holding positions related to material responsibility and positions in government bodies for a period of 2 years.

Translator Abduvoris Abduvaliev was sentenced to 9 years and 7 months in prison, while Shokir Faiziev received a sentence of 6 years and 1 month in prison.

For reference: Kodir Shukhratovich Dodoev, born in 1994, was appointed deputy hokim of Gulistan city – head of the investment and foreign trade department in June 2021. Prior to that, he served as a chief specialist in the Gulistan city administration.

Previously, it was reported that the former deputy hokim of the Romitan district of the Bukhara region is accused of fraud.