Criminal Cases Against Ex-Kyrgyz President Akayev Closed As Statute Of Limitations Expired

BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th January, 2023) The criminal cases against former Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev have been dismissed after the expiration of the statute of limitations, the Kyrgyz prosecutor general's office said on Friday.

"The criminal case against ex-president Akayev was terminated due to the expiration of the statute of limitations," a spokesperson for the prosecutor general's office said.

Akayev was imputed with complicity in the abuse of power or official position and neglect of duty when signing a general agreement with the Cameco company in 1992, as well as corruption during the implementation of a project to develop the Kumtor goldfield in 2003.

Canadian-based gold mining company Centerra Gold has been developing Kumtor, the largest deposit in Kyrgyzstan with gold reserves of about 700 tonnes, for about 30 years.

The Kumtor field was the international company's main asset, generating most of its revenue. According to the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, the share of Kumtor in the country's total industrial production was estimated at 20%.

In May 2021, Kyrgyzstan filed a $4.2-billion lawsuit against Centerra Gold for allegedly violating environmental regulations and for tax evasion, as the company's actions had caused significant damage to the republic's ecology, including the threat of glaciers collapsing in the vicinity of the mine, which could lead to human casualties.