According to a ruling by the First May District Court of Bishkek, former Deputy Prime Minister Duyshonbek Zilaliev will remain in detention until November 4. The court’s press service reported that the preventive measure was reviewed on September 14. Zilaliev will be held in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 (SIZO-1).
On September 13, news surfaced that both Zilaliev and Melis Satybekov, the former director of the State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources, had been arrested. Sources within the special services told Azattyk that the State Committee for National Security (SSC) suspects them of corruption linked to issuing licenses. However, no official statement has been released, and the precise charges remain unclear. Attempts to contact the suspects, their families, or legal representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
Local media reported that both individuals are suspected of engaging in illegal activities during their tenure in 2017. Sources from Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed that Satybekov will also remain in pre-trial detention until November 4.
Zilaliev, now 51, previously led the State Committee for Industry, Energy, and Land Use between 2016 and 2017. He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs in August 2017 and later became the head of the State Property Management Fund in 2018.
In October 2018, Zilaliev was charged with “deliberately spreading false information about terrorism” after allegedly spreading a bomb threat during the inauguration of former President Sooronbai Jeenbekov. He was sentenced to three years in prison. In 2020, the General Prosecutor’s Office opened a separate criminal case against him for “illegal enrichment,” leading to a seven-year sentence from the First May District Court. However, in June 2021, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction, citing procedural violations, and sent the case back for reconsideration.
Public information about 44-year-old Melis Satybekov is limited, but his online biography indicates that he held positions as Deputy Minister of Energy and Industry and Director of the State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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