Maxim Bakiyev
Maxim Bakiyev Максим Бакиев | |
|---|---|
| Director of the Central Agency for Development, Investment and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic | |
| In office October 29, 2009 – April 7, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Post Established |
| Succeeded by | Post Abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 27, 1977 Samara, Russian SFSR, USSR |
| Nationality | Kyrgyz |
| Spouse | Kenenbaeva Aizhan |
| Profession | Politician |
Maksim Kurmanbekovich Bakiyev (Russian: Максим Курманбекович Бакиев; born 27 October 1977, Samara, RSFSR), is the youngest son of former president of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, from his marriage to Russian-born Tatyana Petrova. He has applied for asylum in the UK, while the Kyrgyz government is requesting him extradited.
Biography
Early life
Maksim Bakiyev has a legal background, having graduated from the joint Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. As a student, Maksim worked in a consulting firm, specialized in investment into emerging markets in Central Asia and the Middle East. In March 2010 Maksim was widely believed to be the richest man in Kyrgyzstan.[1]
Career
Maksim was appointed the head of Central Agency for Development in October 2009. Since the 2010 overthrow he has been charged with embezzlement and abuse of power by the interim government of Kyrgyzstan. It is suspected that he transferred about $35 million of a $300 million loan from Russia into his private bank accounts.[2] Prosecutors also allege that his companies owed almost $80 million in taxes on aviation fuel sales.[3]
During 2010 uprising in Kyrgyzstan, Maxim Bakiyev was headed to the US for a series of meetings in Washington.[4] However, he never showed up. In May Interpol posted Maxim Bakiyev as wanted on its website.
Arrest and asylum
On June 13, 2010, Maksim was arrested in the UK when he landed at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire in a privately hired jet.[5] He is seeking asylum there, but the interim Kyrgyz government is demanding his extradition. A senior Kyrgyz official warned that the interim government would consider shutting down the U.S. Manas airbase if Britain refuses to hand him over.[6] However, this was later denounced by president of Kyrgyzstan, Roza Otunbayeva.
On June 18, 2010, it was reported that Bakiyev was granted temporary asylum in the UK, but this was later refuted by the UK Border Agency.[7] He does, however, have permission to stay pending consideration of request for asylum.
On October 12, 2012, Bakiyev was arrested in London by UK extradition officers on the request of U.S. authorities, who want to question him for alleged involvement in fraud. In a statement, the Kyrgyz presidency declared: “Because of the absence of an extradition agreement between the Kyrgyz Republic and Great Britain, the British side is now considering the issue of extraditing Maxim Bakiyev to the United States.”[8]
On March 27, 2013, a Kyrgyz court sentenced Bakiyev in absentia to 25 years in prison for corruption.[9]
2010 South Kyrgyzstan unrest
In May 2010, an audio recording[10] was posted anonymously on YouTube with a caption identifying the voices as those of Maxim and his uncle Janish Bakiyev. The men were discussing plans to arm groups to spread chaos across the south of Kyrgyzstan, sometime in June. Both men have denied the authenticity of the tape and Bakiyev has repeatedly said he has no involvement in the violence.[11]
Kyrgyz deputy Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, claims that the 2010 inter-ethnic riots in south Kyrgyzstan were paid for with $10 million from Bakiyev's pocket.[12]
References
- ^ Maksim Bakiyev – most wanted in Kyrgyzstan Archived 2010-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bakiyev's son suspected of Russian loan embezzlement". En.rian.ru. 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ UN says violence in Kyrgyzstan was orchestrated Archived 2010-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rothkopf, David. "Where in the world is Maksim Bakiyev?". Blog.foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/met-arrests-son-of-ousted-kyrgyz-leader-8210436.html
- ^ Miriam Elder in Moscow. "Kyrgyzstan threatens to shut US base unless ex-president's son is extradited". Guardian. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ "The UK Border Agency: Maxim Bakiyev was not granted temporary asylum in the UK". :. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ "Ex Kyrgyz President's Son Arrested in London". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Former Kyrgyz President's Son Sentenced in Absentia to 25 years Jail". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 28 March 2013.
- ^ "Phone conversation between Maksim and Janybek Bakiyev". Youtube. 2012-01-29. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ "Kyrgyz violence level 'alarming'". English.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan to seek extradition of ex-president's son over riots". En.rian.ru. 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2014-02-11.