The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (GKNB) has detained Azimbek Beknazarov, a former member of the interim government. The politician, known by the nickname «Bulldozer of Revolutions,» is suspected of embezzlement and laundering of illegally obtained funds, according to the GKNB press service.
GKNB officials clarified that a criminal case has been initiated against Beknazarov for the theft and embezzlement of money seized from bank cells and the Government House during the events of April 2010. According to the investigation, the suspect is implicated in the misappropriation of large sums, although the exact amount of stolen funds was not specified by the security service.
The investigation suggests that Beknazarov «laundered» the illegally obtained money through the purchase of real estate, which he subsequently registered under the names of proxy individuals. In particular, this involves expensive properties in Issyk-Kul, Bishkek, Chuy, and Jalal-Abad regions.
Consequently, on September 12, the «Bulldozer of Revolutions» was placed in the temporary detention facility of the GKNB pre-trial detention center.
Media outlets note that the day before, the politician's son, Ruslan Beknazarov, reported his father's detention on social media. He specified that his father was summoned for questioning by the National Security Committee regarding his affairs in the interim government. According to Ruslan, there had been two previous interrogations, and the arrest followed after the third.
Azimbek Beknazarov is a Kyrgyz statesman with a legal education. He has been a member of parliament for several years. From March to September 2005, he held the position of Prosecutor General of the republic. Beknazarov is an active participant in the coups of 2005 and 2010, which earned him the nickname «Bulldozer of Revolutions.» In 2010, he worked as the deputy prime minister of the interim government. The politician was also among the defendants in the «Kempir-Abad case,» for which he was acquitted along with his associates in June of this year.
