Ex-Digital Development Minister released on his own recognizance

15:40, 08 августа 2024, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Gulmira MAKANBAI KYZY

Former Minister of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan Azamat Dyikanbaev has been released from custody on his own recognizance. His lawyer Kaisyn Abakirov reported on social media.

«We are confident that the criminal case will be dismissed due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions,» he posted.

On July 29, the lawyer reported that a criminal case had been opened against former Minister of Digital Development Azamat Dyikanbaev again and that he had been in custody since May of this year. The latter appealed to the president and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a request to ensure an objective consideration of the case and speed up the process.

According to Kaisyn Abakirov, the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a criminal case against Azamat Dyikanbaev under Article 222 «Money laundering» on a large scale, committed together with accomplices, when he held the position of head of the Information Technology Department of the State Customs Service.

In May 2021, Azamat Dyikanbaev was detained for extortion. Pre-trial proceedings were initiated based on a statement from a representative of a foreign company implementing the second stage of Safe City project. According to investigators, Azamat Dyikanbaev extorted money for a positive decision on extending the deadline for execution of the contract on the project.

Later, the head of state Sadyr Japarov signed a decree on the dismissal of Azamat Dyikanbaev from the post of deputy head of the Cabinet of Ministers — Minister of Digital Development. On May 21, 2021, he was placed in the pre-trial detention center of the State Committee for National Security. The criminal case against Azamat Dyikanbaev was closed in February 2022.