More Questioned, Arrested, in Expanding Kyrgyzneftgas Probe |
Crossroads Asia | Politics | Central Asia
More Questioned, Arrested, in Expanding Kyrgyzneftgas Probe
This week the former head of the National Bank and the brother of Kamchybek Tashiev were questioned, the former then detained.
The former head of Kyrgyzstan’s National Bank is the latest to be detained in the expanding – and politically charged – Kyrgyzneftegaz probe.
Melis Turgunbaev, who became head of the National Bank in June 2024, resigned on March 18. On March 26, after being summoned for questioning as a “witness” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Turgunbaev was detained.
The timing of Turgunbaev’s resignation coincided with the airing of accusations by the State Tax Service that over the last five years Kyrgyzneftegaz lost over 4 billion soms (around $45.7 million) in various shadowy schemes. The allegedly pilfered funds, the State Tax Service claimed, ended up in the pockets of relatives and close associates of Kamchybek Tashiev.
Prior to his position as chairman of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, Turgunbaev served as minister of natural resources, ecology, and technical supervision in 2023 to 2024. But from 2013 to 2021 he worked at Kyrgyzneftegaz, first as a member of its board, then as chairman.
Kyrgyz media characterize Turgunbaev as close to Tashiev, whose removal from his post as head of the State Committee for National Security in February arguably provided the spark for the unfolding Kyrgyzneftgas corruption scandal.
On March 18 – the day Turgunbaev resigned – four people were detained: the former chairman of the board of JSC Kyrgyzneftegaz, Nurgazy Nishanov; the former deputy chairman of the board, Ruslan Altymyshev; and the directors of two affiliated companies, Region Oil and the Kyrgyz Petroleum Company (itself a subsidiary of Kyrgyzneftegaz), Nazgul Aidarova and Baigazy Matisakov, respectively.
Matisakov is Tahsiev’s nephew.
As news broke of Turgunbaev’s detention, media also reported that former parliamentary deputy Shairbek Tashiev, Kamchybek Tashiev’s brother, was being questioned as a “witness” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in conjunction with the Kyrgyzneftegaz case.
As with the questioning of Kamchybek, immediately after his return to Kyrgyzstan last week, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not officially commented in regard to Shairbek.
Shairbek had previously been questioned on March 13 and the following day resigned from parliament.
Get to the bottom of the story
Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals and business readers who rely on The Diplomat for expert Asia-Pacific coverage.
Get unlimited access to in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else, from South China Sea tensions to ASEAN diplomacy to India-Pakistan relations. More than 5,000 articles a year.
Unlimited articles and expert analysis
Weekly newsletter with exclusive insights
16-year archive of diplomatic coverage
Ad-free reading on all devices
Support independent journalism
Already have an account? Log in.
The former head of Kyrgyzstan’s National Bank is the latest to be detained in the expanding – and politically charged – Kyrgyzneftegaz probe.
Melis Turgunbaev, who became head of the National Bank in June 2024, resigned on March 18. On March 26, after being summoned for questioning as a “witness” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Turgunbaev was detained.
The timing of Turgunbaev’s resignation coincided with the airing of accusations by the State Tax Service that over the last five years Kyrgyzneftegaz lost over 4 billion soms (around $45.7 million) in various shadowy schemes. The allegedly pilfered funds, the State Tax Service claimed, ended up in the pockets of relatives and close associates of Kamchybek Tashiev.
Prior to his position as chairman of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, Turgunbaev served as minister of natural resources, ecology, and technical supervision in 2023 to 2024. But from 2013 to 2021 he worked at Kyrgyzneftegaz, first as a member of its board, then as chairman.
Kyrgyz media characterize Turgunbaev as close to Tashiev, whose removal from his post as head of the State Committee for National Security in February arguably provided the spark for the unfolding Kyrgyzneftgas corruption scandal.
On March 18 – the day Turgunbaev resigned – four people were detained: the former chairman of the board of JSC Kyrgyzneftegaz, Nurgazy Nishanov; the former deputy chairman of the board, Ruslan Altymyshev; and the directors of two affiliated companies, Region Oil and the Kyrgyz Petroleum Company (itself a subsidiary of Kyrgyzneftegaz), Nazgul Aidarova and Baigazy Matisakov, respectively.
Matisakov is Tahsiev’s nephew.
As news broke of Turgunbaev’s detention, media also reported that former parliamentary deputy Shairbek Tashiev, Kamchybek Tashiev’s brother, was being questioned as a “witness” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in conjunction with the Kyrgyzneftegaz case.
As with the questioning of Kamchybek, immediately after his return to Kyrgyzstan last week, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not officially commented in regard to Shairbek.
Shairbek had previously been questioned on March 13 and the following day resigned from parliament.
Catherine Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat.
Kyrgyzneftegaz corruption case