Vice Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Azimov sacked

AKIPRESS.COM - President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev removed Rustam Azimov from the post of Vice Prime Minister in connection with appointment to another position, a sources close to the matter told UZ24. Gazeta.uz, followed by RFE/RL and EurasiaNet have all reported that Azimov has been dismissed from his post as deputy prime minister and reassigned as the head of Uzbekinvest, a “national export-import insurance company.”

Azimov had been deputy prime minister since 2005 and until December 16 — two days after Mirziyoyev’s inauguration — he’d been finance minister (twice actually, 1998-2000 and 2005-2016). As reported by RFE/RL, Karimov had tweeted allegations that Azimov was worth $4 billion, “suggesting the money was not earned legally.” Others at the time, retweeted by Karimova, said “that Azimov was ‘a crook,’ who created ‘clever schemes to embezzle money.’” While this may be a case of the kettle calling the pot black — the projection of one’s own sins onto another — it would not be surprising if Azimov used his long tenure and high position for personal benefit.
Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov is dismissed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who had earlier criticized Azimov for failing to control financiers' activities. He is replaced by former Deputy Finance Minister Jamshed Kuchkarev.