Uznews.net – The prosecution has demanded that Azamat Yakubov, 54, an activist from the village of Navbahor in Tashkent Region’s Parkent District, pay a fine worth over 15 million sums ($6,800) for collecting money from fellow villagers to build a gas-supply network.

Prosecutors accused Azamat Yakubov of misappropriating and embezzling funds he had collected.

Yakubov, who is defending himself in court, said he had not misappropriated any money and that his fellow villagers and he had jointly decided to build a gas-supply network in their village.

He said his neighbours had raised 11 million sums and he had invested his own 20 million sums to start the project at the beginning of this year.

After Yakubov was arrested on 10 March and prosecutors accused him of embezzling 5 million sums (about $2,300). The arrest prompted protests in Navbahor and about 150 people picketed the building of the Parkent District administration to support the activist.

As a result, Yakubov was released after he signed an undertaking not to leave his village and his trial started in mid-April.

That this case was trumped up is proven by a young man’s admission that he had given evidence against the activist under pressure from investigators. This puts Judge Adyljon Fathullayev in a difficult situation, Yakubov said.

The trial has not yet been completed, but the defendant intends to appeal against the verdict if it is not in his favour.

Despite his trial for the attempt to build a gas-supply network, Yakubov believes that only he can finish this project. He noted that a civil court had ordered the Tashkent Region administration and the Parkent District administration to build a network to supply gas to Navbahor by the end of June.

“But they have not done anything; neither have they got money for this. Of course, they can take more time by suspending the court ruling,” Yakubov said. “This means that there will be no gas supplies to the village any time soon because this demands 800 million sums ($400,000 sums). I have asked them [authorities] to build a gas-supply network as I have Tashkent-based businessmen ready to sponsor me. However, the administration is putting obstacles on my way.”