Former Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Service (SCS) of the Kyrgyz Republic Raiymbek Matraimov, who admitted to corruption and is known to the general public as Raiym-million, is in the spotlight as a philanthropist. As it turned out, he is sponsoring the construction of a new building for the Muftiate in Bishkek. The corresponding message appeared on the Facebook page of Matraimov’s Foundation ‘Ismail-Ata’.
It says that the new building will be erected next to the Imam Sarakhsi Mosque, which is located on Zhibek Zholu avenue in Bishkek.
“Mufti Zamir Kary Rakiev, the head of Foundation ‘Ismail-Ata’ Raiymbek Matraimov, deputy Shailoobek Atazov and other religious figures of the country took part in the capsule-laying ceremony,” the Foundation informed.
“Muslims believe that the future building of the Muftiate will be a modern building, no less modern than the buildings of the muftis of Turkey and Arab countries. After all, philanthropist Raiym Matraimov built the mosque-madrasah in Kara-Suu region, where he was born and grew up. It is the most beautiful not only in Kyrgyzstan, but in the entire Fergana region,” the report says.
It was noted that in addition to the Mufti’s office, there will be also the offices of the Council of scientists, meeting rooms, study rooms and libraries in this building.
As the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan explained to journalists, the Muftiate is currently renting the building. For the construction of their own premises, it was decided to turn to sponsors. The construction is scheduled to be completed this year.
It’s worth recalling that Raiymbek Matraimov worked at the State Customs Service in 1997-2017. In 2015-2017, he served as Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Service. His name has been repeatedly mentioned in journalistic investigations about existing corruption schemes in the customs authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In October 2020, Raiymbek Matraimov was detained as part of the investigation into corruption schemes in the customs authorities. On the same day, the court released him on pledge. As the State Committee for National Security explained, the detainee expressed his readiness to compensate for the damage caused to the state, which, according to the investigation, amounted to about 2 billion KGS. Until the end of 2020, he contributed $17,330,486 (1 billion 400 million KGS) in cash, another $7,427,351 (600 million KGS) was turned into state income through real estate in the form of one shopping center and nine apartments.
On December 9, it became known that the United States included Raiymbek Matraimov on the Global Magnitsky List.
At the beginning of 2021, Matraimov was detained again. That time on the murder of Aierken Saimaiti, who acted as the main informant for the media in investigations of corruption at customs, and on the fact of laundering criminal proceeds.
Later, the Pervomaiskiy District Court of Bishkek found Matraimov guilty of corruption. Due to the fact that earlier Matraimov had already paid 2 billion KGS to the state, the prosecutor asked to sentence him to a fine of 260,000 KGS.
