Tashiyev was indicted on two counts

The former chairman of the National Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchibek Tashiyev, is accused of taking power by force and abuse of authority. His lawyer Ikromiddin Aytkulov informed Kaktus.Media about this did.

It is noted that the precautionary measure of “receipt not to go anywhere” was chosen against the politician. The case is being investigated by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs has not yet officially reported on this.

The lawyer stated that his client did not confess to the charge.

On April 29, it was reported that Tashiyev was summoned to the main investigation department of the ministry twice for questioning. After the second questioning of the night, the information about the indictment against him was confirmed.

Tashiyev himself says that he is innocent and believes that the court will make a fair decision. The politician called on his supporters to act within the law and not organize demonstrations.

“I thought I should contact you regarding the criminal case brought against me. I have the opportunity to fully defend myself in this criminal case. I am not guilty and, God willing, I will be justified. The guilty will be punished, the innocent will be acquitted, because the head of our state is working to create a fair judicial system in our country,” he said. wrote the politician on his Facebook page.

Japarov and Tashiyev tandem

Kamchibek Tashiyev, who is now 57 years old, has been a close associate of Kyrgyz President Sadir Japarov for more than ten years. When Japarov came to power in October 2020, Tashiyev held the position of head of the State Committee for National Security and deputy prime minister.

During the previous presidents, Tashiyev was also in the opposition like Japarov. In the 2010s, both of them became extras in a coup attempt and were detained pending trial.

On April 25, a few days before Tashiyev was summoned for questioning and the indictment was announced, an interview about him was released by MP Elvira Surabaldiyeva. The deputy told reporters that Tashiyev’s removal from office in February was related to his involvement in organizing a coup attempt.

“The president is a generous person. The president is having a hard time right now because a close friend tried to oust him from office. Most likely, this was the main reason for Tashiyev’s dismissal,” said the deputy.

The deputy’s words provoked public anger. Kyrgyz people were outraged that his closeness to the president could allow Tashiyev to escape criminal responsibility while dozens of citizens – activists, journalists and government critics – were punished for organizing mass riots.

After that, Japarov also commented on Tashiyev’s resignation and political intrigues in the parliament in an interview with local publications, and noted that he controlled the situation from the beginning and that his close friends and relatives are equal before the law. He also said that the investigation and the court will determine whether Tashiyev is related to the coup attempt.

Was there an attempted coup?

According to the previous edition of the Kyrgyz constitution, the president was elected for a term of 6 years and once. Sadir Japarov, who came to power through demonstrations in the fall of 2020 and ruled the country as an acting president for a while, won the elections in January 2021 and was officially elected president.

Through a referendum held in April of the same year, the country’s constitution was amended, turning the country into a purely presidential republic, in addition, the term of office of the president was reduced to 5 years, while it was established that one person could be elected twice.

Sadir Japarov’s 6-year term as president is due to end in January 2027, but thanks to changes in that referendum, he now has a chance to run for a second term.

A year before the next elections, Japarov began to strengthen his position. At this time, Tashiyev’s influence among the population was increasing. To a survey conducted by the International Republic Institute according toTashiyev’s rating has increased from 14 percent to 22 percent in recent years, while the level of confidence in President Japarov has remained at the level of 35-38 percent.

The presidential race has not yet officially started in the country, but some politicians have already begun to push for early elections.

On February 9, a day before Tashiyev’s dismissal, Japarov and the Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Nurlanbek Turgunbek, received an appeal to “immediately initiate a new presidential election.” The document was signed by 75 people, including former prime ministers of the country, former members of parliament and public figures.

After that, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case for organizing public riots, several of the signatories of this petition were arrested. Tashiyev’s supporters were among them.

Tashiyev will be relieved of his post on February 10. Sadir Japarov explained this decision by the desire to prevent division in society. According to him, the dispute started in the parliament: there, the deputies were divided into parties, threatened with “general”, and then they started collecting signatures for early elections.

“On the contrary, I believe that I saved my friend with this quick decision. Because those around him… led my friend astray… This could lead to divisions and possible clashes between the civil servants and the community.

The Constitution imposes on the president the obligation to maintain the integrity of the state, the unity of the people and civil servants. I strictly fulfilled this obligation. Because the interests of the state and the entire nation are higher than positions and friendship,” said Japarov.

Criminal case against Tashiyev

During his tenure as the chairman of the State Committee for National Security, Kamchibek Tashiyev gained fame as an ardent anti-corruption fighter. During his administration, the state committee opened dozens of corruption cases and prosecuted high-ranking officials.

In addition, the State Committee for National Security conducted a campaign to return money to the state in cases of “kusturization” (in other words, “vomiting”), that is, cases of corruption or non-payment of taxes. Tashiyev himself said that within the framework of this campaign, 300 billion soms, that is, 34 million dollars, were transferred to the state budget in five years.

But after he left the leadership of the state committee, the Tashiyev family itself remained at the center of the corruption scandal. The tax service accused Tashiyev’s relatives of embezzling state funds for the sale of fuel produced by the state company “Kyrgyzneftgaz”.

In mid-March, one of his relatives, Baigazi Matisakov, was arrested as part of the corruption case, according to the investigation version, he headed one of the companies involved in the resale of Kyrgyzneftgaz fuel.

The amount of damage caused by this scheme was estimated at 4.1 billion soms, i.e. 46 million dollars. Along with Matisakov, former top managers of “Kyrgyzneftgaz” and heads of other companies were also arrested.

A few weeks later, on April 1, Shoirbek Tashiyev, the brother of the former chairman of the State Committee for National Security and former deputy of the parliament, also became a figurehead in this case. He was detained until May 16. He, like other members of the Tashiyev family, stated that he did not confess to the charges against him.