Former Head of trading complex “Bek Tupi” dies at treatment section of prison, Prosecutor General’s Office comments

Several publications reported that on March 30, an ex-head of the trading complex “Bek Tupi” Shukrillakhon Ergashev, 57, who was being prosecuted on the “Onion case”, died in a pre-trial detention center.

Kun.uz contacted Surayyo Rakhmonova, head of the press service of the Prosecutor-General's Office, to clarify this information.

She informed that on March 30, 2019 at about 12:20, the convict Sh. E., kept in the detention center No.1 under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, died. He had been receiving treatment of heart ischemic disease, hypertension-2, AG -2 and diabetes mellitus 2 since 06.02.2019 in the treatment and preventive care unit of the detention center. The detainee died of acute myocardial infarction, acute cardiovascular and pulmonary insufficiency.

“A forensic medical examination has been appointed to determine the cause of the prisoner’s death. Currently, the Prosecutor's Office in Tashkent is conducting investigations in compliance with the law at centers of detention and execution of the sentence,” Ms. Rakhmonova said.

According to her, the convict Ergashev was under treatment during the investigation. He was medically assessed and concluded that he could be summoned to the investigation. There were no legal grounds to change the measure of restraint – financial damage in the amount of about 4 billion soums has not been covered.

It was also noted that Shukrillakhon Ergashev had a great opportunity to meet with lawyers and relatives.

“He was sick. However, neither he, nor his relatives filed a petition to the prosecuting bodies to change the measure of restraint against him or compensate the damage,” the head of the press service said.

It is worth reminding that in August 2018, there were reports that leaders of the major markets in Tashkent were detained for embezzlement.