Court deprives Toktaiym Umetalieva of right to defend Kubanychbek Kulmatov

Criminal proceedings against the former mayors of Bishkek Kubanychbek Kulmatov and Albek Ibraimov continue in Leninsky District Court of Bishkek.
Lawyer Sergey Slesarev demanded from court to allow Toktaiym Umetalieva to participate in the process as a public defender of the former mayor Kubanychbek Kulmatov. He noted that the decision to exclude Toktaiym Umetalieva was taken in her absence, therefore, it was illegal.
However, representatives of the state prosecution stated that the status of a public defender was not stipulated in the Criminal Procedure Code, therefore, Toktaiym Umetalieva cannot represent the interests of the accused. She does not have a lawyer's license.
The presiding judge Kubanychbek Kasymbekov dismissed the petition of Sergey Slesarev. But Toktaiym Umetalieva refused to leave the hall and stated that she would still express her opinion and point out violations.
Fourteen defendants, including Kubanychbek Kulmatov and Albek Ibraimov, are charged with corruption. According to investigators, ex-officials deliberately allowed unreasonable overstatement of the volume of construction work and materials totaling 12,160,641 soms. Albek Ibraimov is also charged with embezzlement of Dastan TNС funds and corruption in the provision of municipal land for use by individuals and legal entities.