Almazbek Atambayev's former bodyguard found to have property worth $4 million

The press center of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan (SCNS) shared details of the detention of Almazbek Atambayev’s former bodyguard Erkin Mambetaliev.

It was established that he allegedly resolved personal issues of a commercial nature under the patronage of crime bosses Rysbek Akmatbaev and Kamchybek Asanbek.

It is noted that Erkin Mambetaliev had been involved in money laundering for a long time. His close relatives are registered as owners of numerous movable and immovable property in the form of apartments, land plots, commercial facilities, and expensive cars.

As part of a criminal case on his participation in an organized criminal group, SCNS officers conducted a search. As a result, they seized an arsenal of firearms and found property acquired illegally worth over $4 million.

Erkinbek Mambetaliev was placed in the temporary detention facility of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of the city of Karakol under Article 261, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic «Participation in an organized crime group». Investigative and operational activities are underway.

Erkin Mambetaliev was convicted of the murder of a police officer — the head of the Main Directorate for Combating Official Crimes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Colonel Chynybek Aliev. In 2008, the Supreme Court found Erkin Mambetaliev guilty of complicity in the murder of several people, including deputy Zhyrgalbek Surabaldiev, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. However, after the events in April 2010, the court reviewed the case, applied amnesty, and he was released directly from the courtroom.