President Japarov: U.S. brings charges against Kamchy Kolbaev and Raim Matraimov, but does not extradite ex-Deputy PM of Kyrgyzstan

AKIPRESS.COM - President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov said in an interview with Azattyk Radio the United States follows double standard policy with regard to those suspected of crimes in Kyrgyzstan.
Japarov said the United States brings charges against [crime boss] Kamchibek Kolbaev and [ex-Deputy Chairman of State Customs Service] Raimbek Matraimov, but does not extradite formed Deputy Prime Minister Askarbek Shadiev, who is suspected of economic crimes and supposed to be hiding in the United States. Other former politicians from Kyrgyzstan also hide in the United States, Japarov said without naming those.
"I asked the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan through the Foreign Ministry to provide the criminal case against Kamchy Kolbaev, facts and evidence against him, we would hold an open trial and representatives of the Embassy could attend it. If we did not do anything, they could say it. He was taken into custody for illegal wealth at first, then he reimbursed some damage for the state. He transferred the rest after release from custody. He did not kill anyone. The United States sys he was involved into drug trafficking, there is evidence. We ask to provide this evidence, but they do not give it to us," Sadyr Japarov said.
The U.S. Department of State has announced a reward increase of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Kamchybek Kolbaev and/or for information leading to the disruption of financial mechanisms of Kolbaev's criminal organization.
In 2000, Kolbaev was convicted for the attempted murder of his one-time criminal boss and murder of two others. Kolbaev was sentenced to 25 years for these crimes, but after serving six years he escaped from prison. In 2007, the U.S. Department of State described Kolbaev as "the leader of the most influential criminal group" in the country, and on April 23, 2008, Kolbaev was "crowned" as a thief-in-law in Moscow by Russian organized crime leaders.
In June 2011, the Obama administration identified Kolbaev as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. In 2012, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Kolbaev as an associate of the Brothers' Circle crime syndicate. In 2013, he was charged with several offenses in the Kyrgyz Republic, including extortion, kidnapping, and weapons and drug crimes, but only served a three-year sentence for extortion. In 2017, the Treasury Department designated Kolbaev for acting on behalf of the thieves-in-law.
Raimbek Matraimov was detained in October 2020 on suspicion of creation of corruption scheme in customs. The State National Security Committee said Matraimov reimbursed damage in the amount of 2 billion soms. In February 2021, Matraimov was arrested in connection with the criminal probe into money laundering.
The U.S. Department of State and the Department of the Treasury announced sanctions designations and visa restrictions on ex-Deputy Chairman of the Kyrgyz Customs Service Raimbek Matraimov. Matraimov is accused of being involved in a customs scheme in which at least USD 700 million was laundered from the Kyrgyz Republic. Matraimov is designated under E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official responsible for or complicit in, or directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.