Ex-mayors of Bishkek Kulmatov and Ibraimov remanded in custody

Criminal proceedings against the former mayors of Bishkek Kubanychbek Kulmatov and Albek Ibraimov continue in the Leninsky District Court of Bishkek.
During the trial, lawyer Sergey Slesarev asked to cancel the preventive measure for Albek Ibraimov and Kubanychbek Kulmatov.
Coming out of the deliberation room, Judge Kubanychbek Kasymbekov read out a court order according to which the petition of the lawyer was dismissed.
According to the judge, there are no grounds for changing the preventive measure to the former mayors.
"Earlier, a preventive measure in form of detention was chosen for the defendants. Consideration of the criminal case on the merits has not started, the court did not examine the evidence of guilt, and the lawyer asks to change the preventive measure," said Kubanychbek Kasymbekov.
Fourteen people, including Kubanychbek Kulmatov and Albek Ibraimov, are accused of corruption. According to investigators, ex-officials deliberately made unreasonable overstatement of the volume of construction work and materials totaling 12,160,641 soms. Albek Ibraimov is also accused of embezzling funds of Dastan TNC and corruption in the provision of municipal land for the use by individuals and legal entities.