ATLANTA - A divorce within the first family of Uzbekistan led to a four-month shutdown of Coca-Cola production and a takeover of Coke's bottling company in this central Asian country. <br>
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Atlanta-based Coca-Cola had a partnership with Mansur Maqsudi, the son-in-law of Uzbek President Islam Karimov. But the president's daughter, Gulnora Karimova, filed for divorce this year and Coke became ensnarled in the fight. <br>
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Uzbek authorities jailed some members of Maqsudi's family and deported others to their native Afghanistan in apparent retaliation for the humiliation suffered by the president's daughter. <br>
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Maqsudi fled to the United States, where he has lived for much of the previous decade. <br>
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As word of the divorce spread, the Uzbek government announced that Maqsudi owed nine million dollars in taxes. Maqsudi denied it, but the government went after his assets, including his minority stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers of Uzbekistan. <br>
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The company's other two owners are the government of Uzbekistan and Coca-Cola. <br>
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The incident halted Coke production for months, partly because Maqsudi had managed the bottling operation and it had difficulty operating without him. <br>
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Coke spokesman Steve LeRoy refused to comment on the Maqsudi matter. While acknowledging production problems, he said he was optimistic about Coke's future in Uzbekistan.
