Ex-PM Temir Sariev interrogated in hearing of case on Historical Museum repair

The Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek continues to consider a criminal case on the repair of the Historical Museum and reconstruction of hippodrome in Cholpon-Ata town.
Lawyer Bakytbek Avtandil uulu told 24.kg news agency that the former director of the State Agency of Architecture and Construction Turdubek Mambetov was questioned during the trial. The episode with the construction of the hippodrome was being considered yesterday.
According to the lawyer, the witness was extremely aggressive towards his client Sapar Isakov. "However, he contradicted himself and changed his testimony during the interrogation. At first, he said that the reconstruction of the hippodrome was his initiative, which found support of the President Atambayev. And later he suddenly stated that this decision was made by Sapar Isakov," Bakytbek Avtandil uulu said.
The lawyer said that Turdubek Mambetov accused the defendant of lobbying the interests of the French company Gregory International, which helped reconstruct the hippodrome in accordance with international standards. "He said that Sapar Isakov went to then Prime Minister Temir Sariev for this purpose. However, Sariev, who was questioned after him, did not confirm his testimony. According to him, everyone who participated in this project should be awarded medals, and not blamed for the crime," said the lawyer.
In addition, Temir Sariev said that the hippodrome now meets international standards and has an international certificate of conformity, there are no analogues of this kind of hippodrome throughout the CIS.
Bakytbek Avtandil uulu Earlier, the affected party was questioned in the court - representatives of the Ministry of Finance, who could not clearly answer whether they support the prosecution or not.
In July 2018, the Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case on the illegal use of budget funds allocated for the reconstruction of the building and purchase of equipment for the State Historical Museum. Damage to the state amounted to 307,650,000 soms.