Kyrgyzstan: former president Almazbek Atambaev was sentenced to 11 years

On June 23, Pervomaisky District court of Bishkek ended the trial concerning the case of the unlawful release of criminal leader Aziz Batukaev. One of the main defendants in this case [the former president Almazbek Atambaev] was sentenced by the court to 11 years and 2 months in prison with confiscation of property.

In Kyrgyzstan, the former head of state was convicted for the first time in person, the first two presidents fled the country.

Recall that in the framework of the criminal case on the unlawful release of Aziz Batukaev, the former president was charged under articles 43 “Complicity” and 319 “Corruption” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. Almazbek Atambaev didn’t participate in court hearings on this case, he pleaded a bad feeling. Although prosecutors have repeatedly requested the court to deliver the former president to the courtroom.

At the hearing on June 16, the state prosecutor asked the court to convict Atambaev of organizing corruption and sentenced him to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The list of property that belongs to Almazbek Atambaev and his relatives and is subject to confiscation includes five vehicles, houses in Chui and Issyk-Kul regions, as well as land plots; in total – 10 property objects. In addition, Media Forum JSC and several LLCs are included in this list, including Forum, Avtomash-Energo and April TV.

This is the first court decision regarding Almazbek Atambaev. The list of charges against Atambaev is long. He is charged with crimes ranging from abuse of authority and illegal enrichment to murder, hostage-taking and rioting.

So on August 8, in Koi-Tash, the special forces of the State Committee for National Security detained the former president Almazbek Atambaev during an assault. One person [an officer of Alpha], Usen Niyazbekov died then. These facts were registered in the Register of offenses under the articles “Murder”, “Attempted murder”, “Taking hostages”, “Mass riots”, “Hooliganism” and “Threat or violence against a government representative” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. Together with the former president, deputies Irina Karamushkina, Asel Koduranova, the adviser to the former president of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kunduz Zholdubaeva, ex-deputy of the Parliament Ravshan Zheenbekov and others are in the dock.

In addition to the case on the release of criminal leader, the supervisory authority also has materials on charges brought against the former president by members of the special deputy commission.

The matter is a plot of land in Koi-Tash, where Almazbek Atambaev built his house. During the inspection, the Prosecutor General’s office revealed a corruption component in this transaction. One of the facts confirming an unclean deal is that immediately after the sale of this land, the former director of the Transnational corporation “Dastan” (JSC) Albek Ibraimov, known for his friendship with Almazbek Atambaev, became the mayor of Bishkek. A criminal case has been instituted on this fact under Articles 43 “Complicity” and 319 “Corruption” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.

In addition, when examining Almazbek Atambaev’s tax declarations from 2010 to 2018, it was found that the financial report for 2017 included income [54 million KGS] from Subiha Parkhati for the purchase of Forum LLC from the former president.

However, during the transaction, the buyer’s solvency and the source of the money were not verified. On this episode, proceedings were initiated under article 215 “Legalization (laundering) of criminal proceeds” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Almazbek Atambaev received another notice of suspicion of illegal enrichment in the case of the issue of a license for Terek-Sai deposit. The former head of state is going through the case together with the ex-director of the State Agency for geology and mineral resources Duishenbek Zilaliev and the state secretary of the department Sherikul Sultanov. They are charged with articles 43 “Complicity” and 319 “Corruption” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.

In addition, the Military Prosecutor’s office is also investigating the fact of illegal coal supplies to thermal power plant. The case was opened following a deputy investigation. The parliamentarians took as a basis the testimony of the ex-prosecutor general Aida Salyanova. She stated that Almazbek Atambaev lobbied for the interests of Progress company and Rassvet company.

The former head of the General Prosecutor’s office of the Kyrgyz Republic claims that in September 2014 at the Nomad Games Almazbek Atambaev personally promised the delivery to the Progress company, the owner of which was the famous Kazakh businessman, a native of Tokmok city, Alidjan Ibragimov (better known by the nickname Graf).

Investigators of the Military Prosecutor’s office also suspect Almazbek Atambaev of complicity in corruption in the modernization of the thermal power plant, the repair of the Historical Museum and the hippodrome in Cholpon-Ata. According to these facts, criminal cases have been instituted under Articles 43 “Complicity” and 319 “Corruption” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.