Uzbekistan convicts ex-Agroleasing chief Nodir Otajonov over $8 million cotton picker scheme

September 19, 2026 at 03:34 PM2 min

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Former Uzagroleasing board chairman Nodir Otajonov has been convicted in a scheme to import used Chinese cotton pickers as new machines. He colluded with Inter Agromash founder Khaydar Abdushukurov to sell the refurbished pickers to farmers at inflated prices. The scheme involved 100 machines valued at $80,000 each.

Key Facts

Nodir Otajonov served as chairman of Uzagroleasing from 24 November 2020 to 8 April 2025.
Otajonov agreed to receive a 15% share of the contract value from China's Xingiang Boshiran Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Co. Ltd.
The scheme involved 100 three-row cotton pickers refurbished to appear as new two-row 4MZ-2A models.
Inter Agromash submitted a commercial offer on 5 July 2024 to supply each picker to farmers for 1 billion 650 million soums.

The Scheme

Nodir Otajonov planned to import used Chinese agricultural machinery into Uzbekistan as new equipment. He sought customs duty exemptions and aimed to sell the machines to local farmers under leasing contracts at inflated prices. In spring 2024, Otajonov contacted representatives of Xingiang Boshiran Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Co. Ltd. He proposed that the Chinese company refurbish 100 used three-row cotton pickers to look like new two-row 4MZ-2A models and deliver them to Uzbekistan for $80,000 each. Otajonov orally agreed to receive 15% of the total contract value in exchange for ensuring the import contract was signed.

Collusion with Inter Agromash

Otajonov lacked authority to import the pickers directly through Uzagroleasing. He enlisted Khaydar Abdushukurov, founder of Inter Agromash, as a partner in the scheme. The two agreed to import the refurbished pickers under Inter Agromash's name and sell them to farmers at inflated prices through leasing contracts. They planned to split the customs benefits and sales profits between themselves.

Commercial Offer and Fraud

On 5 July 2024, Abdushukurov, following Otajonov's instructions, submitted a commercial offer from Inter Agromash to Uzagroleasing. The offer proposed supplying 100 new 4MZ-2A cotton pickers to local farmers at 1 billion 650 million soums per machine. In reality, the pickers were old and refurbished, converted from three-row 76 cm spacing to two-row 60 cm spacing.