Eleven charged over kindergarten food poisoning in Tashkent region

The case relates to incidents recorded in September last year, when cases of food poisoning were identified among children in several preschool institutions in the region.

The children were diagnosed with acute gastrointestinal functional disorder and foodborne toxic infection. A criminal case was initially opened under Part 1 of Article 257-1 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan – violation of sanitary legislation or epidemic control rules.

Eleven defendants named

According to the Supreme Court press service, eleven individuals have been charged in the case. They include the director, founders, technologists and a laboratory assistant of the dairy producer Shark Milk Product, as well as executives of several other companies.

Among the defendants are:

• R. O., born in 1985 – director of Shark Milk Product;
• S. S., born in 1985 – founder and head of sales at Shark Milk Product;
• F. O., born in 1990 – founder and deputy director of Shark Milk Product;
• A. S., born in 1987 – chief technologist at Shark Milk Product;
• R. H., born in 1982 – technologist at Shark Milk Product;
• M. N., born in 1991 – assistant technologist at Shark Milk Product;
• J. H., born in 1993 – director of Governess Business;
• F. D., born in 1993 – director of Kinder Garden Group;
• I. S., born in 2000 – director of Innavation Outsourcing Service;
• B. R., born in 1992 – director of Nishon Invest;
• D. K., born in 1997 – laboratory assistant at Shark Milk Product.

Additional criminal charges filed

The defendants are being prosecuted under Paragraph “b” of Part 4 of Article 186 of the Criminal Code – production, storage, transportation or sale of goods that do not meet safety requirements for the purpose of distribution or use – as well as Part 1 of Article 257-1.

Ten of the defendants have been remanded in custody as a preventive measure, while one has been placed under house arrest.

The investigation is ongoing.