by Alexey Vlasov
After long struggles, opponents of Kyrgyz Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov have finally come to realizing their plans and dismissing the Cabinet chief. The “final scandal” that can finally conclude Babanov’s carrier as the Prime Minister is related to Turkish businessmen and Islander One stallion. According to Kyrgyz MP Zhoomart Saparbayev, the English steed worth $0.5-1.3 million was a gift from a Turkish businessman for “services”. Who could this generous man be? Hunkar Adali, head of the Serka Company, who made a very profitable contract to construct an aeronavigational tower at the Manas Airport.
Spokesman of the prime minister Sultan Kanazarov clarified that the horse was not a gift, it was a purchase by the PM. It seems as though even President Almazbek Atambayev was fed up with the rumours and told his supporters of the Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan not to stand in the way of the premier’s resignation.
AKIpress reported that the horse was accommodated at Issyk Kul stud farm N54, part of the Department for Presidential Affairs. The steed was registered by an individual who signed a contract to care for the horse.
Heads of the Serka Company crossed the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border on August 13, Babanov’s main opponents of the Atameken Party insist. Although they ordered the law enforcers to prevent people involved in the scandal from crossing the border, or even forbidding them from leaving Kyrgyzstan, it seems that Turkish businessmen want to go deep into the scandal around the prime minister’s seat. They can be understood.
Atameken leader Omurbek Tekebayev showed good knowledge of Turkish laws: “I must remind that, according to Turkish laws, any deal worth over $5,000 should not be realized by cash, but via bank transfers. Such large international company as Serka must strictly follow this order. It means that, besides the deal on purchase and sales, Omurbek Babanov needs to present bank documents on transferring $20,000 to Hunkar Adali or his company”.
Kyrgyz Minister for Transport Kalymbek Sultanov said that the tender Serka took part in was held by the United States which provided financing for construction of the Manas Airport. “Our government had nothing to do with the tender, Serka has been operating at the airport since 2009”, the minister of transport said.
VK will continue monitoring the case, because it has more questions regarding the nature of relations of Turkish business and the authorities of Central Asia.
