Uzbekistan convicts, deports Turkish businessmen: TV

Uzbekistan has convicted and deported a group of Turkish businessmen for economic crimes, in a big crackdown on private sector corruption centred on a major supermarket chain, state television said.

Eight Turkish nationals were amnestied and deported from the country in the case, a documentary aired late Monday by "Yoshlar" (Youth) channel said in a rare insight into the closed legal process.

However one other Turkish citizen -- who has a residency permit -- was sentenced to three years in labour camp and was fined more than ê15,000, the report said, without giving a date of the conviction.

"All their property and assets in Uzbekistan were confiscated," said documentary, named "Crime and Punishment".

Most of the suspects were arrested last year after tax, police and special security forces raided Turkuaz supermarket, one of the biggest supermarkets in the capital Tashkent.

They were accused of creating a shadow economy and using double accounting to avoid tax.

An Uzbek tax official, Bosit Oribkhojaev, "who continuously covered up the crimes of the group" for a large sum of bribe has received 11 years jail sentence, the report said.

"If we had not made mistakes who would not have sat here six and half months," Vohid Gunesh, described as a main leader of the group, said in a television interview.

Uzbekistan has stepped up pressure against the private business in recent years in a bid to eradicate a black market marked by double accounting and hiding profits and cash money. 

Last year dozens of luxury shops and markets, the most popular restaurants in Tashkent have been raided by authorities in operations dubbed "mask shows" due to the balaclavas worn by security service agents.

In 2011 Uzbekistan's state TV said that 54 Turkish nationals have faced criminal charges over the past two years, 50 ventures working with Turkish capital were closed down for breaching country's laws and causing damage to the economy.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.