District Court of Bishkek sentences ex-president of Kyrgyzstan Bakiyev to 10 years in absentia

The Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek sentenced former President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev to 10 years in prison in a corruption case. About this with reference to the press service of the court writes Interfax.

Bakiyev was found guilty under Part 2 of Art. 336 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (corruption). In addition to imprisonment, the ex-president is also deprived of the right to hold public office for a period of three years, and is also deprived of property, which will be confiscated by court order. The court clarified that Bakiyev was finally sentenced to 30 years in prison, taking into account the decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of July 29, 2016. Then the ex-president was commuted in absentia from life to 30 years.

The court found that Bakiyev was involved in the “illegal receipt of material and other benefits” in the conclusion of “knowingly unfavorable for Kyrgyzstan agreements on the development of the Kumtor gold deposit” with the Canadian company Cameco, Centerra Gold Inc., as well as with those associated with Kumtor organizations.

Bakiyev came to power after the Tulip Revolution of 2005, which resulted in the overthrow of the president of the republic, Askar Akayev. Five years later, he was also overthrown by the opposition and left the country. Now he lives in Belarus.

Akayev himself, who has led the republic for 15 years since 1990, has also been accused of privatizing large state assets. In August 2021, 16 years after his exile, the ex-president arrived in Kyrgyzstan to testify in the Kumtor case. In an interview, Akaev said that the country’s law enforcement agencies no longer have claims against him. In mid-January 2022, the current president of the republic, Sadyr Zhaparov, said that Askar Akayev “fully atoned for his guilt before the people” for previous mistakes. January 13 Prosecutor General’s Office of Kyrgyzstan stopped criminal cases against Akaev.